Jermaine Wattimena has once again made his mark on the PDC ProTour. The Dutchman
claimed the third Players Championship title of his career in Leicester and his first of the year. In a stacked tournament, Wattimena defeated the likes of Luke Littler and Luke Woodhouse before also getting the better of fellow Dutchman Kevin Doets in the final. The victory also came at an interesting time, as Wattimena was appearing at a ProTour event with his new darts for the first time.
The 38-year-old Dutchman enjoyed an excellent day, although by his own admission he occasionally made things unnecessarily difficult for himself. "Yeah, thank you very much. I think some games I make myself difficult. I play really well."
Wattimena won his first ProTour title in Germany last year. That victory generated plenty of reactions at the time, but in Leicester he proved it was not a one-off. One of the most notable results came in the quarter-finals, where he defeated Luke Littler. For Wattimena, it was his first-ever victory over the reigning world champion.
Yet the win did not come as a complete surprise to him. "Luke Littler's not there. Now you beat Luke Littler in the quarter-final. So they can't moan now.
"To be honest, I feel always confident against him when I lose as well. Because I always play really well against him, to be honest. I think if you see the lost matches against him, I play always well. And now the 115 against him, yeah, that confidence get me back in there."
That convincing performance against Littler gave Wattimena an important boost heading into the latter stages of the tournament. While a victory over a player of Littler's calibre would provide most darts players with a huge mental boost, Wattimena mainly tries to stick to his own game. That paid off in the semi-final against Luke Woodhouse.
There, the Dutchman once again showed that his scoring power and finishing were working excellently together. Wattimena produced several big finishes, including a decisive 128 checkout. "I didn't realize that someone texted me, your ton-plus finishes, you're really good. I didn't realize that in the semi-final because you're busy with the game.
"You know what I mean? And I'm happy going through in that one. It doesn't matter if you throw double 16 tops or a ton-plus finish for the win of the match. It felt like I'm going to win.
Jermaine Wattimena won another title.
Final against fellow Dutchman
Wattimena then faced a familiar opponent in the final. Kevin Doets, who is also from the Netherlands, made things particularly difficult for him and fought his way back into the match. For Wattimena, however, it was above all a strange situation to find himself playing against one of his best friends on the PDC Tour.
"All that was going through my mind was to play one of your best friends on the tour. That was going through my mind. But here you are enemies, but we are good friends. But on the board, you're enemies.
"And I'm the lucky one to win this game because he missed some doubles. I think he missed two or three times."
Those are exactly the kind of moments that can decide a final. While Doets had chances to open the match up further, Wattimena remained calm enough to pounce. In doing so, he confirmed that he now also knows how to play finals. His first ProTour final was still a new experience, but by now a final feels much more familiar to him.
"I don't know what to say. I lost some finals, but now it's easier to play a final, to be honest. More expectation, yes, because you know you can win some Pro Tours."
The victory also came after a short break from the ProTour. Wattimena used that period to travel to the United States, where he took part in an event while also spending plenty of time at the dartboard.
"I've been to America for the DPVL live event to play there. Holiday and play some darts. I play a lot of darts there. I think four days. But new darts, this is the first time, first Pro Tour with the new darts.
That preparation proved important, as Wattimena started the tournament sharply in Leicester. Moreover, he played an official ProTour event with a new set of darts for the first time. The Dutchman recently switched to new Winmau darts and deliberately chose this moment to change his equipment.
"I think because of the holidays. I think it's the right time. I got some holiday. On holiday, you can practice with some darts, what you like. So I think that's the best time to step over. That's my opinion.
"And I like it. Practicing was going well. In America, I played some tournaments going well. Yeah, I'm happy with it."
European Tour
His ambitions for the rest of 2026 are therefore not limited to the ProTour. The European Tour is particularly on his radar. "Hopefully European," he quipped.
With his victory in Leicester, Wattimena has once again shown that he is among the dangerous outsiders on the ProTour. The Dutchman combined a high level with strong play at the crucial moments and defeated several big names along the way. His victory over Littler in particular will give him extra confidence.
Wattimena also has an immediate opportunity to build on his success. A day after his title, another
Players Championship is already on the schedule in Leicester. The Dutchman can attempt to double his victory and make another bid for a ProTour title.