Van Gerwen starts this PDC major as the defending champion after winning 18-14 over Gerwyn Price in the final last year. 'Mighty Mike' has previously won this tournament three times.
The 34-year-old Dutchman may no longer be the world number one, but he remains the top favourite to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy once again with another victory at the World Matchplay. Especially when looking at the statistics, Van Gerwen has reached the final at seven of the last eight majors, five of which he managed to win.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
📊 If 'majors' are considered the TV ranking tournaments plus the Premier League, then Michael van Gerwen has won 5 of the last 8 and made the final of 7 of those 8 🟩
An open Matchplay field or a clear favourite?