Wave of withdrawals at the Austrian Darts Open 2026: five top stars pull out – Raymond van Barneveld and Ricardo Pietreczko benefit

Raymond van Barneveld has been going through a difficult phase in his career for quite some time. The 58-year-old Dutch darts legend is eliminated early at almost every tournament, which has made it hard for him in recent years to regain his form and confidence. Yet there is now positive news for the former world champion: he has been granted direct entry to Euro Tour 6, the Austrian Darts Open in Vienna.

Van Barneveld has considered putting away his darts on multiple occasions in the past. After a disappointing 2020 World Championship, his career seemed over for a moment, but nine months later he rediscovered the fire and immediately regained his PDC Tour Card at Q-School in 2021.

Even so, success remained scarce thereafter. Aside from a semi-final at the Grand Slam of Darts in 2022 and a few isolated wins, Van Barneveld mainly relied on perseverance and experience.

His desire to play is still there, although, according to experts, he sometimes lets his head drop quickly when facing setbacks during matches.

Recently, a personal challenge was added to the mix: the split with his manager Ben de Kok, with whom he worked for many years. “You get the sense that it’s now a definitive break,” analyzed Vincent van der Voort on the podcast Darts Draait Door. “Some things have happened and it’s no longer working. They’ve both gone their separate ways and now we have to wait and see what consequences that will have for Raymond. This is yet another thing you don’t want.”

Still, Van Barneveld now gets an opportunity he did not expect. Due to withdrawals by other players — including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, and Gary Anderson — Van Barneveld has been directly placed into Euro Tour 6. Other players such as Kevin Doets, Peter Wright, Ricardo Pietreczko, and Mike De Decker also benefit from the open spots.

For Euro Tour 5, the European Darts Grand Prix, Van Barneveld still needs to qualify via a qualifying tournament. That makes his direct entry for Vienna all the more valuable.

For ‘Barney’ fans, this offers a glimmer of hope: the chance to see him back on stage and perhaps to feel that old sense of major victories again. Although the road back to consistent top level will be tough, this is an unexpected chance he must seize with both hands.

For Euro Tour 6 in Vienna, the focus is now on one thing: showing rhythm, confidence, and passion again in the game that once took him to the absolute top of the world.