"The critics don't pay my bills" - Dimitri van den Bergh ignores haters to enter 2025 in positive mindset despite PDC World Darts Championship disappointment

For Dimitri Van den Bergh, the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship was a real disappointment disappointment. 'The Dreammaker' went down in the third round after a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Callan Rydz.

"All in all, the disappointment is not that bad," Van den Bergh says though to Het Nieuwsblad. "My opponent was just really good. I fought with heart and soul, I kept pushing. And that's something I take as hugely positive. It just didn't stop with him. I kept thinking, 'Who knows, it might turn.' But it wasn't. Once when I didn't hit a treble, I was punished tremendously because he would throw at least one or two. Not normal. He did everything he wanted. He looked at it and it went in."

Follow the PDC World Darts Championship 2025 via our LIVE SCORE!

Read also

This is the schedule for the quarter-finals at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship

Van den Bergh didn't even play a bad game himself, throwing nearly 95 average. "That's definitely not bad. Can I do better? Absolutely. Do I know that this is already positive? Also yes. And then when you see that I got leg after leg of chatter, but still kept pushing ... That's strong of myself. I never gave up. I didn't feel like I was standing there for nothing. I've been through a lot this year and I've had that feeling at times because of that, but it wasn't like that now. I kept hoping for a tipping point. It just wasn't as good as I wanted and the chances I got didn't go in. But I'm not sitting here with a negative vibe, I kept pushing. That's something very positive mentally that I'm going to take with me to 2025. I get a certain peace from this."

Dimitri Van den Bergh in action at the World Darts Championship 

Van den Bergh does now drop to 18th place in the world rankings after this World Darts Championship though, with only the top 16 qualifying directly for the major tournaments. "I am now 18th in the ranking. The difference is not big, but that was my goal. That's really a big disappointment. I had a really good year at the majors as well as winning one with the UK Open, but I find it hard to accept that I didn't reach my goal."

The 30-year-old Belgian did extremely well at the majors with a win at the UK Open and semifinal places at the Masters and World Grand Prix, but especially at the floor tournaments he often completely failed. "It's just a completely different thing," he says. "On the floor, it all starts earlier and there's just more involved. It's actually less quiet, on the floor. At a TV tournament, you play one match and it's done for the day, win or lose. You also know in advance who you're playing against, so all the energy is built towards that one match and you plan your day towards that moment. On the floor, you have to start at 1 p.m., but all you have are questions: who do you start against, the how many games do you have to compete...? That's really a big difference. I would love to be a player who doesn't care about anything, like a James Wade. Everyone fears him. Even if he's not good, you still have your hands full. Why wouldn't you want to be like that? His opponents are already under pressure beforehand. It would be great to be able to play darts like that and be watched."

Van den Bergh has also evolved in recent years. "I may not come across that way, but I think way too much. That used to be much less. I had a great life, I could save, I could build up... It was really of: what comes, that comes and we'll see. Now I'm throwing goals around because I have a family. I'm a dad, so I'm not just working for myself anymore. That takes so much more out of me. We also don't have a steady income lol, as pro darters. You have to win to earn pennies. So it's become more of a job than a hobby, and I'm constantly working on that mentally. I'm working on it, but it's not easy. You have to be busy with yourself, but your opponent is also busy doing his job. Of course, that's the tricky thing about darts. I can play great and win easily, but also lose."

"People who want to say now that I haven't had a good year, okay so be it," Van den Bergh continued. "I'm among the top darters in terms of earnings. That's not given to everyone. It wasn't always top, especially on the floor and the European Tour. There it was really 'gene vette'. I'm not averse to admitting that, especially on the floor it was really bad. I can and am better. But I've had some injuries and that plays into it. I can't change it anymore, it's not fun... I wanted better this year, but so be it. The critics don't pay my bills, I know I give blood, sweat and tears for my sport. So I let go of that fact. Hard work is rewarded and things are going in the right direction, and the team around me gives me a lot of positive influences. I am looking forward to 2025, even if right now it is a sour apple to bite through. But I keep learning, and someone who is always learning will also improve. I am firmly convinced of that."

Read also

"I never get any respect... I always get written-off" - Nathan Aspinall looking to prove a point against Luke Littler at PDC World Darts Championship

"I slept 7pm until 2am... checked my phone and I was like, ‘really?!’" - Luke Littler reveals he slept through Peter Wright's shock win over Luke Humphries

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate darts experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe