Fans hoping to see Michael van Gerwen recapture some form this weekend were hit by a stray dart, his joining Luke Littler as a no-show at the Dutch Darts Championships.
Van Gerwen announced his absence from the tournament in Rosmalen at the last minute, speculation already mounting that something was wrong after a very erratic few months on the oche.
Proving the rumours true, the thrower from Boxtel in the Netherlands has gone public with the announcement that he and his wife Daphne are to separate. Not since 1993, when 16 rebel professionals broke from the BDO, the then major governing body, has darts witnessed such a devastating split.
“It is with great sadness, I would like to let you know that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship,” said van Gerwen on X
Van Gerwen, who has two children, also added that he would miss upcoming events, with a return date not yet made known.
The three-time World Champion has endured a torrid 2025 so far, despite lifting the German Grand Prix in April, hitting a nine-dart finish en route to the title. At the time seen as a mini-renaissance for the Green Machine, the mixed fortunes of this once-majestic thrower were to endure, culminating in failure to reach Premier League Finals Night. While not unheard of, being edged out by Nathan Aspinall in an event he has won seven times, only served to confirm that he was struggling with more than his throwing.
Few enthusiasts doubted that something underpinned the decline of a player who was an untouchable World No 1 from 2014 to 2021, during which time he raked in millions.
Since losing top spot, van Gerwen has experienced the highs and lows with dominant spells in the sport, punctuated by shocking Round-One exits and defeats to also-ran professionals. An ever-present among the favourites for the various darting majors, Mighty Mike was a thrower few would have bet against to claim more titles. He remains the second-most decorated player ever, the richest and until recently, the most recognisable thrower – usurped only by the phenomenon that is Luke Littler.
Darts has so many players capable of picking up silverware, yet few will have expected Michael van Gerwen to decline so starkly after making the World Championship final in January. It is in the nature of a true champion to get back up again, as so many of the greats have proven. This is what we have come to expect from the winners of darts, none more so than MVG, in a sport blessed with players who continue to feature into their 50s and beyond. Nobody thinks this is the end of the man who made darts his own from his early 20s.
There are those, however, who consider him a spent force when it comes to somebody you just know will collect a major trophy every year. Just as many again who think he’s already won his last World title. Even more who think his days as the best of the best are already over.
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