“The hype around me last year was overrated” – Wessel Nijman under the radar but safely through to round two at PDC World Darts Championship

Wessel Nijman made a quietly emphatic return to the Ally Pally stage as he swept aside Karel Sedlacek 3–0 in sets on Saturday night, delivering one of the most controlled performances of the opening round while deliberately staying out of the spotlight.

On his third appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship, the Dutchman averaged over a ton and hit 50 percent of his doubles, backing up his strong floor form with a display that felt measured, calm and ruthlessly efficient.

Yet rather than talk up momentum or expectations, Nijman was quick to downplay the wider significance of the win.

“Obviously it feels really good for me,” Nijman said after the match, where Dartsnews.com were present for his press conference. “I really like how I played on that stage.”

From the opening leg, Nijman looked settled. He held throw in 15 darts before accelerating sharply, producing an 11 darter and then a superb 136 finish in 12 darts to wrap up the opening set with authority.

For Nijman, that early control was crucial.

“It’s always important to have a good start in the match,” he explained. “In the second set you saw Karel miss three darts at tops to come back into the game. I think he wouldn’t miss those darts if he was already ahead. So having a good start is probably the most important thing about playing a darts match.”

The second set followed a similar pattern. Nijman opened with a 14 darter and, while Sedlacek briefly responded, missed doubles allowed the Dutchman to break throw. A clinical 13 darter put him two sets clear and firmly in command.

By that point, the match already felt like it was being played on Nijman’s terms.

“It’s very special because I know I played my own game,” he said. “I know how I can play. I didn’t play like that last year against Joe, but I really liked how I played today. As I said, I’m really pleased.”

Any hopes of a Czech comeback were quickly extinguished in the third set. Missed doubles from Sedlacek handed Nijman the opening leg, and a 15 darter moved him to match point. Although Sedlacek briefly delayed the finish with a 14 darter, Nijman calmly closed the match with a 13 darter to seal a straight sets victory.

Despite the dominance of the performance, Nijman was keen to stress that the long gap before his next match meant he was not reading too much into it.

“It’s eight days in between games,” he said. “So it feels like a different tournament, doesn’t it? When you play a ProTour, you go back home and then seven days later you play again. It feels like a different tournament. So today doesn’t tell you anything about next Monday.”

That grounded outlook has become a consistent theme of Nijman’s approach on the big stage.

Twelve months ago, Nijman arrived at the World Championship with heavy expectation following a strong run of form. This time, he is content to operate well away from the noise.

“I think the hype around me last year was a bit overrated,” he admitted. “I didn’t think I was sixth favourite, and I don’t think anybody did. But now I don’t get that much attention at all, I think slim to none, which I like. I like no attention at all, which is more how it should be.”

That sense of normality appears to suit him.

While his 2025 campaign saw strong form on the Players Championship circuit, televised events have not always reflected that consistency. Still, Nijman remains confident that experience will bridge the gap.

“The televised events weren’t on my side,” he said. “But I know if I can get the confidence and the experience in, I know I can play as well on TV as I do on the floor events. I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Asked what he took from last year’s World Championship, Nijman pointed not to one match, but to a growing body of stage experience across the calendar.

“I don’t think I learned that much from that particular game,” he said. “But more from playing games at the Grand Slam, the Matchplay, the Grand Prix, all the major events. As I said, I think it’s just a matter of time until all those experiences turn into great games on stages, like it did today.”

That progression has been reflected in his season as a whole.

“My 2025 has gone better than my 2024, just like my 2024 went better than my 2023,” he said. “So I’m really happy.”

Even difficult losses have been absorbed as part of that upward curve.

“I played the European Championship and missed match darts against Michael, then I played the Grand Prix and missed match darts against Rob Cross,” Nijman reflected. “But I still had a better year than last year. And as long as you have progression, having a better year than the last one, then you shouldn’t be moaning.”

Despite growing talk of Dutch darts resurgence, Nijman remains focused inward rather than drawing inspiration from others.

“I want to put a stamp on Dutch darts,” he said. “But I won’t say they’re inspiring me now to get a big win on that stage. I’m encouraging myself to win one.”

As for how far he can go in this year’s tournament, his answer was typically understated.

“It would be very cliché to say winning my next game, wouldn’t it?” he said. “But that’s how it is. I don’t even know who I’m playing next, so I can’t really put big expectations on the whole tournament.”

Preparation, at least, is already decided.

“I’ll probably do the same as I did for this game,” Nijman added. “Because it worked, didn’t it?”

Under the radar and without fanfare, Wessel Nijman moves on. And if this opening night performance is any guide, that might be exactly how he wants it.