Vincent van der Voort confirms darting retirement as comeback plans derailed due to persistent physical issues

Vincent van der Voort has officially drawn the curtain on his professional darts career. The 49-year-old from Purmerend made the definitive call to step away just before the start of the World Darts Championship, concluding that a return to the sport’s top tier was no longer viable. A combination of persistent physical issues and a recent run of exhibition matches ultimately convinced him that the time had come to close a chapter spanning four decades.

Van der Voort lost his Tour Card at the end of last season and had already opted to sit out the 2025 campaign. His initial plan was to reassess at the end of the year and decide whether he might mount a comeback in 2026. However, a difficult period following the passing of his sister in the summer of 2024, coupled with a body increasingly failing to cooperate, shifted that outlook. Ongoing problems with his back, knees, and neck made both practice and competitive play progressively more challenging.

A series of recent exhibition events proved decisive. Van der Voort used them to gauge whether a return was realistic, but the answer became clear early on. “I noticed the pain in my back, knees and neck came back quickly, even after plenty of rest,” he told De Telegraaf. “You see whether you can manage it again, but I have no desire to keep playing in pain.”

Although the gout he had long battled is now well controlled through medication, other physical limitations have become insurmountable. “I had hoped to return, but apparently my body is too rickety. I'm six-foot-two and if you want to adopt the proper stance, you get a strange twist at the hip. It locks up every time, so you can't stand normally.”

Van der Voort first shared the decision privately. “I told my wife and Michael van Gerwen, who was with me. He saw how much pain I was in. He’s sorry, of course, but it is what it is.”

The emotional weight of the decision is not lost on him. “It’s not the easiest choice—I've done this my whole life. Forty years of being under pressure and playing matches. The realisation that I've stopped for good still needs to sink in, but I’m at peace with it.”

Van der Voort is part of the Dutch generation that made the switch to the PDC in the 2000s, joining the organisation in 2007 alongside the likes of Van Gerwen and Jelle Klaasen. He announced himself immediately on the big stage by reaching the final of the UK Open on his major TV debut, losing out to Raymond van Barneveld. The run cemented his status within the professional ranks.

Across his career, Van der Voort made 22 appearances at the World Darts Championship, reaching the quarter-finals on three occasions, including twice at the PDC edition. His biggest triumph came in 2014 when he claimed the Austrian Darts Open, one of several PDC titles to his name.

With his retirement, Dutch darts bids farewell to one of its most distinctive characters. Renowned for his rapid pace, aggressive scoring, and forthright personality, Van der Voort was also widely recognised for his close bond with Michael van Gerwen. Fans will still hear plenty from “The Dutch Destroyer,” however, as he continues to co-host his weekly podcast Darts Draait Door.