"To put it bluntly, I had a stroke on doubles": Hempel after painful and 'unacceptable' defeat to Wright
PDC
Florian Hempel kicked off his 2025 campaign in impressive fashion. The 33-year-old from Cologne confidently booked his spot in the main draw of the prestigious Winmau World Masters and even made a strong run to the quarter-finals of a Players Championship event. But since that promising start, the results have failed to follow — despite a consistently solid level of play.
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Speaking on the Game On podcast, which he co-hosts alongside commentary legend Elmar Paulke, Hempel opened up about his recent struggles, particularly the painful first-round exit at Players Championship 11 against two-time world champion Peter Wright.
“My game actually feels good. The averages tell a positive story,” Hempel explained. “But the results just aren’t coming.”
The defeat to Wright still lingers in his mind: “If someone had asked me right after the match whether I’d keep playing, I’d have said: ‘Not this year.’ I was really down.”
And with good reason. Hempel delivered a superb performance against Wright for much of the match. He raced to a 5-1 lead, maintained a 100% checkout rate early on, and averaged over 100 — but then came the collapse.
“To put it bluntly, I had a stroke on doubles,” Hempel said with a touch of gallows humour. He missed seven match darts, allowing Wright to stage a dramatic comeback and steal the win.
“Losing a match like that hurts enormously,” he admitted. “Especially when you see Peter go on to win his next match with an 83 average against someone averaging 73. If I land one of those match darts, I’m probably taking home at least £1,500 in prize money — and who knows how far I could have gone from there. The way those first three or four darts missed the double was just not acceptable.”
The disappointment continued in subsequent events, with Hempel suffering back-to-back first-round defeats at Players Championships 13 and 14, losing to Daryl Gurney and Andrew Gilding respectively. Still, the Rhinelander remains determined.
“I can’t control the draw, whether I get lucky, or if my opponent is playing out of his skin. I just want to play. If it works, it works. If not, then I’ll go again in Hildesheim.”
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There’s also a note of reflection in Hempel’s outlook.
“Other players have it even tougher,” he said. “Look at Jules van Dongen — he’s battling dartitis and has been training left-handed for five weeks. Or Glen Durrant — a Premier League winner who suddenly couldn’t hit anything. He’s been fighting real demons.”
His conclusion?
“Everyone goes through a rough patch. You have to fight your way through — if you’ve got the patience and the strength.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
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