“You’re there in the morning and the final starts at 9:30 at night” – Inside Wessel Nijman’s brutal 12-hour road to Euro Tour glory

For many darts players, it is a moment they dream about for years: winning a European Tour title. For Dutchman Wessel Nijman, that dream became reality last weekend. After an impressive run of performances, he crowned himself champion of the European Darts Trophy by defeating none other than Gerwyn Price in the final.

The manner in which Nijman secured the title made the story even more memorable. With a spectacular 150 checkout he decided the final and completed a weekend in which he consistently performed at the highest level. It was not only his first European Tour title, but also a clear confirmation that the young Dutchman now firmly belongs among the rising elite of international darts.

For Nijman, it was a weekend he will not forget any time soon. Reflecting on the victory afterwards, he admitted that the emotions were stronger than anything he had experienced before. “It’s been some weekend. It’s emotions I probably hadn’t experienced before on days like this,” Nijman explained to TalkSport Darts.

Looking back on the decisive day of the tournament, he also highlighted just how demanding the European Tour format can be. “Last year I reached two semi-finals, and especially the last day of a European Tour event is so hard to stay consistent and keep playing your own game,” he said. “You’re already there in the morning, and the final starts at 9:30 in the evening, so you need to stay sharp for more than 12 hours. That’s really difficult, but I’m very happy I managed to do it yesterday.”

This time everything came together at the right moment.

Anyone watching Nijman on stage quickly notices his composed approach. While some players show their emotions loudly after big moments, the Dutchman often remains remarkably calm: collects the darts, walks back, throws again.

According to Nijman, that approach is very deliberate. “When you start shouting or celebrating a lot, your heart rate goes up, and that’s when I start getting more nervous,” he explained. “I always say to myself that the calmer you stay, the better you feel and the easier it is to stay focused.”

Only in truly decisive moments does he allow himself to show more emotion. Even the thought of hitting the nine-darter he narrowly missed earlier in the tournament made him laugh. “If I had hit the nine-darter against Josh Rock, then I definitely wouldn’t have stayed calm,” he said.

The final against Price was played at a high level from both players. The Welshman, a former world champion and one of the most explosive players on the circuit, rarely gives opponents room for error. Yet it was Nijman who produced the defining moment with a brilliant 150 checkout.

Reflecting on that finish afterwards, he insisted there was little overthinking involved. “It’s really just routine and rhythm,” Nijman said. “You’re actually thinking even less about it because Gerwyn wasn’t on a finish.”

That detail removed some of the pressure. “Of course it’s still a difficult finish, but knowing he wasn’t on a checkout meant there was less pressure.”

Interestingly, Nijman and Price have faced each other frequently in recent months, producing several high quality matches. They met earlier this year at the UK Open and also in a Players Championship final, raising the question of whether a new rivalry could be emerging.

Nijman himself prefers to frame it in terms of mutual respect. “I had a chat with Gerwyn after the UK Open game on stage, and the first thing he said was that we always have great games against each other,” Nijman explained. “That’s what I said in my interview yesterday as well. The matches are always played at a really high level, and we don’t try to put each other off or get into each other’s heads. We just play the game at a good rhythm.”

For spectators, he believes that makes their matches particularly enjoyable. “For the fans, that’s probably one of the best types of matches to watch, because the pace is good and the level is high.”

What made Nijman’s achievement even more impressive was the level he maintained throughout the entire tournament. Across six matches he produced five averages above 100, something rarely seen on the demanding final day of a European Tour event.

According to Nijman, the physical side of modern darts is becoming increasingly important. “I think in darts now you really have to be fit,” he said. “It’s not like the old days where players who weren’t very fit could still dominate.”

“You need to be well rested and mentally strong, but also physically ready. I’m not saying I’m extremely fit, but if you can stay focused and play at that level all day, then you’re fit enough for these tournaments.”

While Nijman has long impressed in floor tournaments, big television stages have sometimes brought additional nerves. He openly admits that pressure played a role in earlier defeats. “I remember a game against Michael van Gerwen at the European Championship where I probably missed more than eight match darts,” he said.

But even then, he believed things would eventually change. “I said afterwards that it couldn’t stay like that forever. Eventually things would turn around, and I’m really glad that happened this weekend.”

The 2026 season has therefore started in excellent fashion for the Dutchman. Pro Tour success combined with his first European Tour title shows he is becoming a serious contender on the circuit. Even so, he remains measured about his long-term ambitions. “My main goal is to get into the top 16 first and then see what happens from there,” Nijman explained.

That does not mean he rules out a major title. “If you look at the level I played yesterday, then I don’t think it’s strange to say that I could have a chance at winning one.”

Away from the oche, Nijman has another passion: football. The Dutchman has been a dedicated supporter of AZ Alkmaar for more than a decade and has held a season ticket for many years. “This is my tenth or eleventh year as a season ticket holder,” he said.

Some of his favourite memories involve travelling to European away matches with friends. “You travel with a group of friends, go to another country, enjoy the atmosphere and watch the match together. Sometimes the football didn’t go so well, but the trips themselves were always great.”

For Nijman, those moments provide a welcome break from the intensity of life on the professional darts circuit.