Four-time champion Michael van Gerwen exited the 2026 European Darts Championship in Dortmund after a 6-3 defeat to Kevin Doets on Friday, October 23, 2026. The swift first-round exit drops Van Gerwen out of the top ten of the world rankings for the first time since 2012.
Michael van Gerwen Exits Early in Dortmund and Drops Out of Top Ten
The European Darts Championship in Dortmund turned into a difficult arena for the sport’s established names as Michael van Gerwen suffered a 6-3 defeat against fellow countryman Kevin Doets during the Friday evening session on October 23, 2026. Van Gerwen entered the major looking to regain confidence following a challenging season that had left him without an individual major quarterfinal appearance in 2026.
Doets established control early in the match by breaking throw in the second leg with a 106 finish, followed closely by a 132 checkout via the bullseye in the third leg. The 28-year-old Doets, making his tournament debut, pressed his advantage to a 5-1 lead.
Doets holds the 26th position on the world rankings, while Van Gerwen sits tenth prior to the tournament drop. Van Gerwen’s struggles on television stages have extended past previous months, marking continued opening-round exits across recent non-floor competitions.
Luke Littler Advances Past William O’Connor as Other Dutch Contenders Face Mixed Fortunes
While Van Gerwen exited the tournament, defending world champion Luke Littler opened his campaign with a 6-3 victory over Ireland’s William O’Connor. Littler recorded a 105 match average alongside six maximum 180 scores, advancing smoothly to set up a second-round meeting with Nathan Aspinall. O’Connor previously eliminated Van Gerwen during competition in Maastricht.
Among the eight Dutch competitors starting the event, Gian van Veen, Jermaine Wattimena, and Kevin Doets advanced to the second-round stage. Wattimena opened the Friday evening schedule against Ryan Joyce, holding the 16th spot on the world rankings compared to Joyce’s 24th placement. Joyce competed using replica arrows because his original equipment went missing at the airport terminal. Wattimena secured a 6-3 victory after squandering seven match darts during a stretch that allowed Joyce to close the gap from a 0-5 deficit to 3-5.
Wessel Nijman, seeded second for the tournament after capturing two European Tour titles and six floor titles during the season, suffered a 6-5 defeat against Germany’s Martin Schindler, ranked 31st on the seeding list. Nijman mounted a recovery from an early 0-3 deficit to force a deciding leg, but Schindler closed the match with an 80 finish. Nijman maintains a history of success in prior head-to-head meetings against Schindler, including a victory at the Czech Darts Open, but remains searching for his first major quarterfinal appearance.
DREAM DEBUT FOR DOETS!Kevin Doets dumps out four-time champion Michael van Gerwen to triumph on his European Championship bow!📺 https://t.co/C0gvzP3YL6 #ECDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/ZnBpLpeol5
- Jermaine Wattimena defeated Ryan Joyce 6-3 after holding off a late charge where Joyce capitalized on seven missed match darts.
- Wessel Nijman fell 6-5 to Germany’s Martin Schindler in a deciding leg after recovering from a 0-3 deficit, as Schindler sealed the victory with an 80 finish.
Prize Money and Tournament Format for the Dortmund Major
The European Darts Championship runs as a four-day event from Thursday, October 22, through Sunday, October 25, 2026, serving as the final tournament of the PDC European Tour.
First-round matches are contested over best-of-11 legs. The second round and quarterfinals move to best-of-19 legs, while the semifinals and final play out over best-of-21 legs.
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The total prize fund reaches nearly 180,000 euro for the winner at the conclusion of the event. Play continues through the weekend with second-round matches scheduled for Saturday, October 24, leading into Sunday’s concluding rounds.
