"Still want to compete with them, I know I have it in the locker": Max Hopp has hunger to claim top spot back among German elite

Max Hopp admitted he felt a huge sense of relief and pride after marking his return to the PDC World Darts Championship with victory, describing the moment as one of the most emotional of his career after years away from the Alexandra Palace stage.

Back competing at the sport’s biggest event for the first time in several years, Hopp’s reaction at the end of the match said everything. “You could see it in my celebration,” he said post match. “It was a big win for me. A lot of pressure falling off. I believed I could win this one.”

Although Hopp was quick to acknowledge that his opponent Martin Lukeman was “not in his best shape”, he stressed that the challenge remained significant, particularly after allowing his opponent back into the contest. “You could see me leading 2–0 in sets and I thought I had him, but I let him back into the game. The finishing part was the hardest part of the game, but I’m glad to get over the line.”

The victory carried extra weight given how hard Hopp has worked to regain his place on the World Championship stage. “It was just massive for me to get up on that stage,” he explained. “I could feel once the first dart hits the target, I can hit a 180 quite easily. I think I pleased the crowd, I pleased myself, but I’ve got to step up my game for the next round.”

Once dubbed the poster boy of German darts, Hopp has watched the sport explode in popularity in his home country during his absence from the elite. Now back among the contenders, he is eager to show he still belongs. “We have some great players,” he said. “Look at Martin Schindler and Nico Springer and what they are doing. They are the massive players right now, but I still want to compete with them. I know I have it in the locker. When the pressure is falling off me, I can really produce great stuff, but sometimes I make it too difficult for myself.”

Despite those frustrations, he enjoyed his opening-round performance. “Tonight it was quite good, quite enjoyable, so I’m really glad to proceed to the next round,” he added.

Awaiting Hopp in round two is Luke Woodhouse, and the German is taking plenty of belief from his opening display. “Quite a lot,” he said of his confidence. “I hit a 178. I could improve on the doubles here and there, but I played Luke this year on the Euro Tour and I won that game.”

Having watched Woodhouse’s previous match, Hopp feels he can pose problems. “I watched his game against Boris. The presence of Boris being a big, tall guy meant Luke struggled a little bit, so I will make it hard for him. I get a few days to prepare and I just want to proceed to the next round. I’m up for the game.”

For Hopp, being back at Alexandra Palace – affectionately known as Ally Pally – carries a special feeling, even after spending recent years there in a media role rather than as a player. “Ally Pally is always a great venue,” he said. “Next year we move to a bigger arena as well, so the crowd is going to be buzzing. Ally Pally is just a cult – in my country we say it’s a cult. Everyone wants to be here, everyone wants to be up on the stage, and to produce a win tonight is massive.”

While the German fans continue to follow him in force, Hopp knows he no longer commands the same universal recognition among the wider crowd as he once did – something he is determined to change. “Of course I always want to prove myself,” he said. “I know I have the game in my locker, it’s just got to come out. Tonight, in patches, it did. The 180s went quite well, but I still have to free myself. I have to free my mind and be a little bit calmer.”

Despite this being his ninth World Championship appearance, nerves were still evident. “I made it hard for myself tonight,” he admitted. “You could see I was really tense here and there, but if I can free my mind and free my soul, I will be a really, really good player.”

When pressed on how he plans to achieve that mental freedom, Hopp smiled and kept his cards close to his chest. “Of course, but I won’t tell you,” he said.

Reflecting on his early career, when he carried the hopes of a nation, Hopp acknowledged the weight of expectation that came with his rise, including Euro Tour success and regular appearances at the World Cup. “I think the whole of Germany is still looking for that one guy to really kick on,” he said. “At the moment I fancy Martin and Nico to do really, really well, and they proved it this year.”

However, he has no intention of stepping aside quietly. “You’ve been around for so long, you know what you can do,” he explained. “You don’t want to just hand over that kind of status to them. You want to be competitive with them. I think at my peak I can really be that, but I know my issues as well, and it’s a long process.”

That process, Hopp admits, is ongoing. “It took me about four years to get back on that stage, and it will probably take me another one or two years to really reach my peak, but I’m willing to do so.”

Again declining to spell out the specific issues he is working through, Hopp instead focused on his renewed motivation. “The main thing is I have the fire back,” he said. “I really want to do well. I want to improve everywhere I can, at every tournament, and put something up again. I’m really keen to do well in 2026 as well.”

Asked about media scrutiny in Germany, Hopp took a balanced view, stressing the human side of professional players. “We all want to improve darts and we all want darts to explode in Germany,” he said. “I think we’re on a pretty good path. We have some pretty good players. But we’re also human – don’t forget that. Darts was our hobby before it became our job, so we still have to learn how to deal with certain situations. I think we’re doing quite well overall.”