Why Michael van Gerwen Must Make an Unprecedented Decision That Could Elevate His Career

Michael van Gerwen has spent years establishing himself as one of the greatest darts players of all time. Three world titles, 49 major titles and countless memorable performances have made him a legend of the sport. But even the greatest champions eventually reach moments when they must make difficult decisions about their careers.

Right now, Van Gerwen could be approaching one of those moments.

The Dutchman remains one of the biggest names in darts, but his recent performances have raised serious questions about whether his current schedule is helping him return to his best. And an unexpected suggestion from former professional Vincent van der Voort could offer a solution that many fans would never have imagined.

Could skipping the Premier League Darts actually help Van Gerwen rebuild his career?

It sounds almost unthinkable. For more than a decade, the Premier League has been a regular part of his season. However, sometimes the most difficult decision is also the one that gives a champion the best chance of coming back stronger.

Van Gerwen’s Recent Struggles Cannot Be Ignored

There is no denying that Van Gerwen has enjoyed an extraordinary career. At his peak, he was the player everyone feared facing, capable of overwhelming opponents with relentless scoring, spectacular checkouts and an intimidating presence on stage.

But the 2026 season has delivered some frustrating moments.

His early exit against Ryan Joyce at the World Grand Prix was another disappointing result in a series of performances that have fallen short of his usual standards. He also suffered setbacks at the Masters and the World Series of Darts Finals, while his UK Open campaign ended in the last 16.

For a player with Van Gerwen’s achievements, those results are difficult to accept.

Of course, every professional experiences bad spells. Even the best players can lose confidence, struggle with consistency or find themselves on the wrong end of a difficult draw.

However, when disappointing results begin piling up across several major tournaments, the situation becomes more concerning.

Van Gerwen is not an ordinary player trying to establish himself on the professional circuit. He is a three-time world champion who has spent years setting the standard for everyone else.

That is precisely why his current struggles deserve attention.

The question is no longer simply whether he can win another tournament. It is whether his present approach gives him the best possible chance of returning to the level that made him so dominant.

The Premier League Question Nobody Expected

Vincent van der Voort believes Van Gerwen may need to consider a dramatic change.

The former professional suggested that stepping away from the Premier League could actually benefit his compatriot’s career.

“Maybe for his career it would actually be better not to play it,” Van der Voort said.

That is a remarkable suggestion when you consider Van Gerwen’s history in the competition.

He has been a Premier League regular since 2013 and has won the tournament three times. It is one of the competitions most closely associated with his career, giving him a weekly opportunity to compete against the world’s best players in front of packed arenas.

Commercially, it is also an enormous opportunity.

But Van der Voort’s argument is that the Premier League’s financial rewards and prestige should not automatically make it essential to Van Gerwen’s plans every season.

“Commercially and money-wise, of course, it is a lot of money. But for everything else, the best thing might be to skip it and fully focus on his ranking,” he explained.

That is the central issue.

The Premier League is demanding. It involves regular travel, intense matches and sustained pressure over several months. For a player trying to recover his form and protect his position in the rankings, that additional workload could make it harder to concentrate on other priorities.

Skipping the competition would be a major sacrifice, but it might give Van Gerwen more time to prepare, practise and focus on the tournaments that matter most to his long-term position in professional darts.

His Ranking Could Be in Serious Danger

Perhaps the biggest reason to consider Van der Voort’s suggestion is the threat to Van Gerwen’s position in the PDC Order of Merit.

After years among the elite, Van Gerwen is facing the possibility of dropping outside the top 16 for the first time in approximately 14 years.

That would be a significant moment in his career.

The ranking system is based on prize money earned over a two-year period, meaning players must continually replace the money they won during previous seasons. Strong past performances can become a burden when those results expire and the player cannot match them.

Van Gerwen has approximately £608,500 to defend in ranking prize money, including the £250,000 he earned as runner-up to Luke Littler at the 2025 World Championship.

That is a substantial amount of money to replace.

If Van Gerwen fails to produce strong results while that prize money drops off his ranking, his position could deteriorate quickly.

And that is where his schedule becomes particularly important.

Rather than committing himself to every major competition available, he may need to prioritise the tournaments that offer the best opportunity to rebuild his ranking and confidence.

Van der Voort has been particularly critical of Van Gerwen’s recent major-tournament performances.

“First round in the Masters, last 16 at the UK Open, early exit at the Matchplay, and then losing here in the first round. You can’t say he deserves to be in based on that,” he said.

Those comments might sound harsh, but they reflect the reality of professional sport. Reputation can open doors, yet results ultimately determine whether a player remains among the best.

Van Gerwen has earned enormous respect throughout his career. However, he cannot rely on his past achievements forever.

The Financial Sacrifice Would Be Enormous

There is an obvious problem with skipping the Premier League: money.

The competition offers substantial financial rewards, and Van Gerwen is one of the sport’s biggest commercial attractions. Walking away from that opportunity would not be an easy decision.

There is also the question of pride.

Would a player who has dominated the Premier League for years really want to step aside while his rivals compete for the title? Would he worry that his absence could be interpreted as an admission that he can no longer handle the schedule?

Those concerns are understandable.

But champions must sometimes separate emotion from strategy.

If Van Gerwen believes that playing the Premier League is preventing him from preparing properly for other events, continuing simply because he has always done so might be the wrong approach.

The objective should not be to protect his reputation for being a regular Premier League participant. It should be to maximise his chances of winning major titles again.

And if a season away could help him achieve that, the financial sacrifice might eventually prove worthwhile.

Other Players Have Shown That Stepping Away Is Not the End

Van Gerwen would not necessarily be destroying his career by missing one Premier League season.

Jonny Clayton provides an interesting example.

Clayton missed the Premier League in 2024 and 2025 before returning in 2026. During his comeback campaign, he finished second in the league phase and reached Finals Night, where Luke Humphries defeated him.

His return demonstrated that a player can miss out on the competition and still fight his way back into contention.

That does not mean Van Gerwen would automatically enjoy the same outcome. Their circumstances and form are different, and there is no guarantee that taking a break would solve his problems.

Nevertheless, Clayton’s experience shows that missing the Premier League does not have to mean disappearing from the sport’s biggest stages.

Van Gerwen could use the time to concentrate on his ranking, rebuild his confidence and work on the parts of his game that have let him down.

He has already shown during 2026 that he remains capable of winning tournaments, with victories at the Bahrain Darts Masters and Nordic Darts Masters.

Those successes suggest that his ability has not suddenly disappeared.

The challenge is finding the consistency required to translate occasional victories into sustained success at the biggest events.

Van Gerwen Still Has Time to Fight Back

It would be premature to write Van Gerwen off.

He remains an experienced competitor with an extraordinary record, and few players understand the demands of elite darts better than he does.

His recent setbacks do not erase what he has achieved, nor do they prove that he cannot return to the top.

However, something may need to change.

Continuing with the same schedule and hoping for different results is not necessarily the best strategy, particularly when his ranking position is under pressure.

A season without the Premier League could provide an opportunity to reset his priorities. He could focus on ranking events, work on his consistency and approach the biggest tournaments with a clearer plan.

There would be risks, of course. He could miss out on major prize money, lose valuable competitive opportunities and find that his problems persist despite the lighter schedule.

But doing nothing carries risks of its own.

Van Gerwen’s career has been defined by his desire to win, and sometimes that ambition requires making uncomfortable choices.

The real question is whether he is willing to sacrifice a familiar part of his career to protect the bigger picture.

Skipping the Premier League would be a huge decision for a player who has helped define the competition for more than a decade. Yet it could also be a bold statement that his priority is not simply to remain a regular name on the biggest stages, but to return to winning the biggest titles.

Van Gerwen has already proved he can become a champion. Now he must decide what gives him the best chance of doing it again.