Latest news with #MVG
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Michael van Gerwen pulls out of latest tournament as darts star deals with divorce from wife Daphne
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has pulled out of another tournament amid his divorce from wife Daphne. The world's top players travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, for the Nordic Darts Masters this Friday. 2 Michael van Gerwen has pulled out of the Nordic Darts Masters Credit: Getty 2 Van Gerwen and his wife Daphne have separated Credit: Instagram / @mvg180 But Van Gerwen, 36, has withdrawn due to personal reasons. It comes just two weeks after he confirmed his MVG said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship. "As a result, I have withdrawn from the upcoming tournaments. READ MORE IN DARTS "I am sorry to disappoint my fans, but I trust that they will understand my decision. "We are Van Gerwen has not revealed when he hopes to back at the oche. The three-time world champion and Daphne began dating in 2008 and they have two children in daughter Zoe, seven, and son Mike, five. Most read in Darts Stephen Bunting, World No1 and Premier League champion He faces Latvian thrower Madars Razma in round one.
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Darts star Michael van Gerwen's miserable year from Luke Littler loss and bizarre injury to split from wife Daphne
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has had a tough year both at and away from the oche. The Green Machine has gone through injury misery, marriage heartache and damaging defeats. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Michael van Gerwen has had a tough year so far Credit: Alamy Once one of the most feared players on the professional circuit, MVG is now seen by many as a beatable opponent when you're on your day. That reputation took it's first big hit of the year when the 36-year-old fell to defeat at the hands of teenager Luke Littler in the World Championship final in January. LUKE AWAY Van Gerwen is a three-time world champion and one of the best players to ever take to the stage. January's World Championship final matchup with a 17-year-old Luke Littler was an opportunity for the Dutchman to assert his dominance over a rising star that had drawn comparisons to a young MVG. READ MORE IN DARTS 'GOT THE HUMP' Darts duo embroiled in on-stage row as what kicked off public spat emerges But the chance at lifting a fourth Sid Waddell trophy was gone within a matter of minutes as Littler stormed to a 4-0 lead, ultimately going on to win 7-3. It wasn't just £500,000 and the trophy that was snatched away from Van Gerwen, but an 11-year record of his too. Littler's success as a 17-year-old made him the youngest ever winner of the worlds, trumping MVG's record of lifting the title as a 24-year-old in 2014. 8 Van Gerwen was beaten by Luke Littler in the World Championship final Credit: Getty MINNOW MISERY There's a caveat to losing to Littler, because despite being a teenager, he's still one of the sport's top prospects and best players. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS But there may not be many excuses for some of the relative minnows that MVG has succumb to throughout the season already. Van Gerwen has fallen to defeat in the first round SIX times on the PDC circuit this season. Those performances have included defeats to the world number 111, 94 and 71 in the Players Championship events. Much of the darts world were left scratching their heads at his performances, but pal and opponent Raymond van Barneveld hinted it could be down to fatigue. Speaking to TalkSport, he said: "Michael was always a killer. I don't know what's going on. I see him often, what is really going on with his game? I am not sure. "We travel a lot, we play a lot. From Exeter last week, they play, one day later they go to the UK Open and play more matches. "[It is] almost unstoppable at the moment. It is really tiring for all the players and we have to protect them you know? "Premier League, Euro Tours, Pro Tours, in all honesty it is a little bit insane." 8 Van Gerwen's friend Raymond van Barneveld suggested MVG's poor form could be down to fatigue Credit: Getty - Contributor PREMIER LEAGUE PAIN Van Gerwen is the most successful Premier League Darts player of all time, winning the competition a record seven times - one more than Phil Taylor. But his efforts on the high-profile eight-man tour this season have been well below his usual standards. In fact, Thursday's 6-2 defeat to Nathan Aspinall sealed only his second-ever failed attempt to make the play-off stage of the competition in 13 appearances. While he also went the entire Premier League campaign without winning a single nightly event. Speaking after missing out, he said: "This is probably one of the hardest Premier Leagues I have ever played in - not in terms of players, but in terms of myself". While former tour player Colin Lloyd reckons that the dismal form is a sign that MVG is finished at the top level. He said: "I think his race is run. With what he's achieved in the game, is he that motivated anymore? "He says he is. He says there's plenty left it in him and that when he turns up, he's still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world. "I'm sorry, but I've got to say we haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now. We've seen flashes of brilliance. "Has it slipped into his head he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday." 8 Nathan Aspinall beat Van Gerwen to prevent him a place in the Premier League play-offs Credit: PA Premier League Darts 2025 THE Premier League Darts is back with eight players vying for massive prize money and Luke Littler's crown. The teenager, who went on to win the world title in December, won the Premier League in 2024 and will be looking to defend his crown over 18 thrilling weeks. There were two new entries this season, with Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey replacing Peter Wright and Michael Smith. Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall keep their place in what will be a hotly-contested title race. INFORMATION Full schedule and results, dates, TV and live stream info Latest standings as we head to Finals night How much prize money is on offer in the Premier League? LATEST DARTS NEWS Humphries make shock wardrobe change for Premier League Darts in Leeds Moment darts star awkwardly falls off stage Luke Littler goes public for first time with new girlfriend SEASON SO FAR Night One - Belfast Night Two - Glasgow Night Three - Dublin Night Four - Exeter Night Five - Brighton Night Six - Nottingham Night Seven - Cardiff Night Eight - Newcastle Night Nine - Berlin Night 10 - Manchester Night 11 - Rotterdam Night 12 - Liverpool Night 13 - Birmingham Night 14 - Leeds GONE MISSING It hasn't just been defeats that have seen MVG struggle to stitch together form this year, but also his own decisions to pull out of competitions. Van Gerwen has missed out on five different PDC events this season for family commitments, unknown reasons and a freak injury. Those events included multiple Players Championship matches and the Bahrain Darts Masters. But it was his shock withdrawal from the Premier League in Berlin that caused the biggest stir after it was revealed he had injured himself by putting his SHIRT ON. Close friend Vincent Van der Voort revealed to Dutch podcast Darts Draait Door how the bizarre injury came about. He said: "Michael hurt himself in the afternoon—it was really unfortunate. 'He was trying on some shirts for his sponsor, and as soon as he put one on, he said something didn't feel right. He could barely move his neck. "He went to a physiotherapist, had a massage, even took muscle relaxants. He gave it a go, but it just wasn't happening." 8 Vincent van der Voort revealed how Van Gerwen injured himself Credit: Getty DAPHNE SPLIT Van Gerwen could perhaps put some of his struggles at the oche down to distractions in his personal life. And that became very clear when the world number three revealed that he is splitting from his wife Daphne this week. Van Gerwen and Daphne began dating in 2008 and tied the knot six years later. The pair have two children together, a daughter called Zoe, 7, and a son called Mike, 5. But they have sadly decided to call an end to their time together, with Van Gerwen announcing the decision in a statement that asked for space and revealed he is withdrawing from some upcoming tournaments. It read: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship. As a result, I have withdrawn from the upcoming tournaments. "I am sorry to disappoint my fans, but I trust that they will understand my decision. "We are going through difficult times and ask everyone to respect our privacy during this difficult time." 8 Van Gerwen has announced his split from wife Daphne 8 Daphne had MVG had been together since 2008
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Darts star Michael van Gerwen's miserable year from Luke Littler loss and bizarre injury to split from wife Daphne
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has had a tough year both at and away from the oche. The Green Machine has gone through injury misery, marriage heartache and damaging defeats. 8 Michael van Gerwen has had a tough year so far Credit: Alamy Once one of the most feared players on the professional circuit, MVG is now seen by many as a beatable opponent when you're on your day. That reputation took it's first big hit of the year when the 36-year-old fell to defeat at the hands of teenager LUKE AWAY Van Gerwen is a three-time world champion and one of the best players to ever take to the stage. January's World Championship final matchup with a 17-year-old Luke Littler was an opportunity for the Dutchman to assert his dominance over a rising star that had drawn comparisons to a young MVG. READ MORE IN DARTS But the chance at lifting a fourth Sid Waddell trophy was gone within a matter of minutes as Littler stormed to a 4-0 lead, ultimately going on to win 7-3. It wasn't just £500,000 and the trophy that was snatched away from Van Gerwen, Littler's success as a 17-year-old made him the youngest ever winner of the worlds, trumping MVG's record of lifting the title as a 24-year-old in 2014. 8 Van Gerwen was beaten by Luke Littler in the World Championship final Credit: Getty MINNOW MISERY There's a caveat to losing to Littler, because despite being a teenager, he's still one of the sport's top prospects and best players. Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS But there may not be many excuses for Van Gerwen has fallen to defeat in the first round SIX times on the PDC circuit this season. Those performances have included Much of the darts world were left scratching their heads at his performances, but pal and opponent Raymond van Barneveld hinted it could be down to fatigue. Speaking to , he said: "Michael was always a killer. I don't know what's going on. I see him often, what is really going on with his game? I am not sure. "We travel a lot, we play a lot. From Exeter last week, they play, one day later they go to the UK Open and play more matches. "[It is] almost unstoppable at the moment. It is really tiring for all the players and we have to protect them you know? "Premier League, Euro Tours, Pro Tours, in all honesty it is a little bit insane." 8 Van Gerwen's friend Raymond van Barneveld suggested MVG's poor form could be down to fatigue Credit: Getty - Contributor PREMIER LEAGUE PAIN Van Gerwen is the most successful Premier League Darts player of all time, winning the competition a record seven times - one more than Phil Taylor. But his efforts on the high-profile eight-man tour this season have been well below his usual standards. In fact, While he also went the entire Premier League campaign without winning a single nightly event. Speaking after missing out, he said: "This is probably one of the hardest Premier Leagues I have ever played in - not in terms of players, but in terms of myself". While former tour player He said: "I think his race is run. With what he's achieved in the game, is he that motivated anymore? "He says he is. He says there's plenty left it in him and that when he turns up, he's still the man to beat and one of the best players in the world. "I'm sorry, but I've got to say we haven't seen Michael turn up for a while now. We've seen flashes of brilliance. "Has it slipped into his head he has other priorities? He loves spending time with the missus and the kids going on holiday." 8 Nathan Aspinall beat Van Gerwen to prevent him a place in the Premier League play-offs Credit: PA Premier League Darts 2025 THE Premier League Darts is back with eight players vying for massive prize money and Luke Littler's crown. The teenager, who went on to win the world title in December, won the Premier League in 2024 and will be looking to defend his crown over 18 thrilling weeks. There were two new entries this season, with Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey replacing Peter Wright and Michael Smith. Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall keep their place in what will be a hotly-contested title race. INFORMATION Full schedule and results, dates, TV and live stream info Latest standings as we head to Finals night How much prize money is on offer in the Premier League? LATEST DARTS NEWS Moment darts star awkwardly falls off stage SEASON SO FAR Night One - Belfast Night Two - Glasgow Night Three - Dublin Night Four - Exeter Night Five - Brighton Night Six - Nottingham Night Seven - Cardiff Night Nine - Berlin Night 10 - Manchester Night 11 - Rotterdam Night 12 - Liverpool Night 13 - Birmingham Night 14 - Leeds GONE MISSING It hasn't just been defeats that have seen MVG struggle to stitch together form this year, but also his own decisions to pull out of competitions. Van Gerwen has Those events included multiple Players Championship matches and But it was his shock withdrawal from the Premier League in Berlin that caused the biggest stir after it was revealed he had Close friend Vincent Van der Voort revealed to Dutch podcast Darts Draait Door how the bizarre injury came about. He said: "Michael hurt himself in the afternoon—it was really unfortunate. 'He was trying on some shirts for his sponsor, and as soon as he put one on, he said something didn't feel right. He could barely move his neck. "He went to a physiotherapist, had a massage, even took muscle relaxants. He gave it a go, but it just wasn't happening." 8 Vincent van der Voort revealed how Van Gerwen injured himself Credit: Getty DAPHNE SPLIT Van Gerwen could perhaps put some of his struggles at the oche down to distractions in his personal life. And that became very clear when the world number three The pair have two children together, a daughter called Zoe, 7, and a son called Mike, 5. But they have sadly decided to call an end to their time together, with Van Gerwen announcing the decision in a statement that asked for space and revealed he is withdrawing from some upcoming tournaments. It read: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship. As a result, I have withdrawn from the upcoming tournaments. "I am sorry to disappoint my fans, but I trust that they will understand my decision. "We are going through difficult times and ask everyone to respect our privacy during this difficult time." 8 Van Gerwen has announced his split from wife Daphne 8 Daphne had MVG had been together since 2008 8 The pair have two children together
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Premier League Darts final four confirmed as Van Gerwen falls at first hurdle
PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS NIGHT 16: Michael van Gerwen knew he had to win the night in Sheffield to book his place at the O2 next fell at the first hurdle to Nathan Aspinall Nathan Aspinall seized the last remaining golden ticket to the BetMGM Premier League play-offs - but for Michael van Gerwen it may be the end of an aura. On a win-or-bust night in Sheffield, Van Gerwen needed to take the honours on the final instalment of darts' travelling circus to reach next week's finals at the O2 arena in London. But the only way he could snatch a top-four place was to win all three possible games - and he fell at the first hurdle. Aspinall, who only needed to beat the seven-times Premier League champion in their head-to-head clash to reach his first play-offs in the competition, sent MVG packing with a 6-2 win. It all means that Aspinall, will join the two Lukes - Littler and Humphries - along with Gerwyn Price at the showpiece event in the capital next Thursday. And while Van Gerwen now faces a summer of soul-searching, with the meter ticking over towards two years without winning a TV major, Aspinall was jubilant. The Asp said: 'I'm so proud of myself - I knew I had to turn up tonight and get the job done, and I've done that. 'People wrote me off at the start of the season but the PDC and Sky Sports know hat I can do and what I bring to the party. It was my aim to get to the O2 - now I can look ahead to next week and think about what I might achieve there.' It is only the second time in 13 Premier League campaigns that Van Gerwen has failed to reach the play-offs - but it has been signposted virtually since the opening night in Belfast back in February. On the Thursday night circus tour, MVG has failed to win any of the 16 meetings across seven countries and has reached only two finals. He has looked a pale imitation of the once-unstoppable force who held the No.1 spot in the Professional Darts Corporation rankings for almost a decade. But for Aspinall, reaching the O2 is a stunning riposte to the critics who claimed he did not deserve a Premier League spot this year based on his performances over the previous 12 months. The Asp admitted he would prefer the field to be based entirely on the rankings, with the top eight automatically chosen for the tournament, instead of the current system in which the world 's top four are guaranteed a place but the other four are chosen by the PDC and Sky Sports. Aspinall brings a karaoke spirit to the party because his Mr Brightside walk-on song is such a hit with the fans. But by beating Van Gerwen for the second week running to book the last remaining spot on the Greenwich meridian next week, he proved he was also worthy of his selection on merit. To his credit there was no showboating, no celebrating in crestfallen Van Gerwen's face, when he nailed tops at the third attempt to clinch his 6-2 win at the Utilita Arena.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘You don't know my schedule' rants Michael van Gerwen as he hits back at ‘lazy' jibes and reveals ‘rollercoaster' year
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has hit out at claims he's lazy in a frank assessment of his downturn in form. The Dutchman has endured a rough 2025 by his incredibly high standards. 4 4 The 36-year-old has been incredibly inconsistent as of late, much to the surprise of darts fans worldwide MVG's poor form has left him in danger of missing out the Premier League play-offs. Critics have accused him of not putting in the hard graft to win tournaments, which Luke Humphries and Luke Littler are mopping up wth ease. That notion has irked the former World No.1, who told Online Darts: 'I've been working and practising a lot. Of course, it doesn't always pay out, but I'm doing the work. "What you have to do and what you want to put in and, of course, at some point it will pay out. I know that. 'Sometimes when you're too busy, people don't know my schedule. "Maybe only Phil Taylor, maybe Luke Littler now, but no-one else my schedule in the last 13, 14, 15 years, so it's difficult for them to judge about it. "They've never been in that position. I have to just answer with performances and it's the only thing I can do. List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler 'I've been in tough positions before as well, I had some other tough patches in my life, but you always survive. I know what I'm capable of. "Believe in your own ability and then the rest will come automatically. "You're going to have tough patches, but as long as you keep believing that everything is possible. "And that's what I keep grab of and hold of, to make sure that's going to happen. 'It's like a big rollercoaster at the moment and things don't always go my way. "Too many games, I have to battle too much and then you make it hard for yourself. "I shouldn't put myself in that position, but sometimes that's the way how things go. 'I'm a human being as well and I know I'm capable of it, and then when you don't show it, you get frustrated, you get annoyed and you want to do better, but don't worry. "I'm still going, and I still love what I do. You also need to look to reality. When you play poorly, you play poorly. "You can have a big mouth, but you have to show it on the dartboard and that's the only thing I can do at the moment.' Despite his recent trophy drought, Van Gerwen still believes he's among the best in the business. He said: 'Of course, I say, when I'm on top of my game, I know I can beat anyone, probably be the best player in the world. "But I don't show it enough at the moment and that's a question I have to answer myself to solve it and to make sure I'm going to turn it. 'When you're facing the past, your back [is] against the future and I want to face the future. "I'm getting older. I've been in the game for a long time. "I've played darts for more than 25 years now and sometimes it gets a bit harder. Then you need to try to invest more time into yourself. "But I'm willing to do that and I feel good. I feel comfortable and I think there's more in the tank. 'I'll never look to someone else because you can keep looking, but it's not going to change anything. "You have to change yourself and that's the only answer you can get. "As long as I keep enjoying the game, from there on, anything is possible.'
