Aspinall to Miss ProTours Amid Personal Issues
Nathan Aspinall has confirmed that darts is not his priority as he deals with family matters away from the oche. Speaking ahead of the World Matchplay, the former UK Open champion revealed he has been struggling with personal issues for most of the year and is unlikely to compete in any further ProTour events for the time being, meaning he will miss the Players Championship Finals in Minehead for a second consecutive year.
Despite recent social media appearances suggesting a more celebratory period in his life, Aspinall explained that the reality has been very different. He is now targeting September as the month he hopes to be back to his best, but has made it clear that his focus currently remains elsewhere.
Blackpool Braces for Matchplay Drama
The focus of the darting world turns to the iconic Winter Gardens this week for the World Matchplay, which runs from 18-26 July. The tournament, often described as the “summer Worlds,” will feature a record prize fund of one million pounds, with every one of the 32 participants guaranteed at least £12,500.
Luke Littler returns to Blackpool as the defending champion and the obvious World Matchplay favourite. Having defeated James Wade in the 2025 final, the teenager now arrives with such a dominant reputation that a clean sweep of the sport’s major ranking titles is being discussed as a realistic possibility. He begins his title defence with an opening-round match against Niko Springer.
In an unusual development, the schedule for the opening weekend is subject to change. Should the England football team reach the World Cup Final on Sunday 26 July, the first three sessions of the darts will be moved forward to avoid a clash. Under the contingency plan, Saturday’s opening session would begin at 1:00 p.m. BST, with the planned Sunday afternoon matches moving to Saturday evening. The Sunday evening session would then be brought forward to a 1:00 p.m. start.
The tournament also carries significant weight for the PDC Order of Merit. With substantial prize money on the line, the world rankings could see a considerable shake-up. Michael van Gerwen is one of the players at risk of a major drop, though he has refused to be drawn on his ranking position in the build-up to the event.
