Ryan Joyce has delivered an emotional and brutally honest admission about his fears of losing his PDC Tour Card after finally ending a painful run of defeats that left him questioning his future in professional darts.
The experienced English player opened up following a much-needed victory at the Austrian Darts Open, admitting that the constant losses had taken a serious toll on both his confidence and mental state. Although Joyce managed to stop the losing streak with a hard-fought win over Gabriel Clemens, the relief in his post-match interview showed just how difficult recent months have been.
For years, Joyce has been one of the most respected and dependable figures on the PDC circuit. Nicknamed “Relentless,” the 40-year-old built his reputation through consistency, composure and clinical finishing under pressure. While he may not always receive the same attention as some of the sport’s biggest stars, fellow professionals have long recognised him as a dangerous opponent capable of beating anyone on his day.
But even experienced players can suddenly find themselves trapped in damaging slumps, and Joyce admitted his recent run had become increasingly worrying.
Heading into the Austrian Darts Open in Graz, the Englishman had suffered several disappointing early exits that badly affected his confidence. Wins had become difficult to find, and the pressure surrounding every match continued growing.
In professional darts, losing form can quickly create a dangerous cycle. Every defeat increases pressure for the next event, and because tournaments arrive almost every week on the packed PDC schedule, players rarely have time to mentally recover.
That pressure had clearly started weighing heavily on Joyce.
His clash against German star Gabriel Clemens was viewed as a crucial opportunity to finally change momentum. Joyce eventually secured a 6-3 victory, although the overall performance itself was far from spectacular.
The world number 26 averaged just 87.70 in a tense and scrappy contest, but at that stage the result mattered much more than statistics. Joyce simply needed a win.
The biggest moment of the match came when he produced a brilliant 118 checkout on the bullseye to seal victory. That finish not only ended the contest but also brought an end to the miserable losing streak that had left him fearing for his future on tour.
After the match, Joyce spoke openly about the emotional strain of recent months and admitted every small success currently feels massive because of how badly his confidence has suffered.
“Every break of throw feels good, especially when you are really struggling for form,” Joyce admitted. “I have had a really bad run lately.”
The honesty of the interview immediately stood out because players do not always publicly reveal how deeply poor form affects them mentally.
Joyce also explained why the match against Clemens carried extra pressure. The German had already beaten him recently in the opening round of a ProTour event, leaving the Englishman worried history might repeat itself.
“I lost to Gabriel recently in the first round of a ProTour event,” he explained. “I wasn’t looking forward to this game.”
That statement perfectly captured how confidence issues can completely change a player’s mindset. Opponents who once seemed manageable suddenly become intimidating, and players can begin entering matches already fearing another defeat.
Joyce admitted the mental side of darts becomes incredibly difficult during bad spells because every missed double and every lost leg starts to feel far more significant than normal.
“The pressure is on. It’s really tough,” Joyce said. “I have been in half-decent form for a long time, but when you hit a bad patch every game feels like massive pressure, whether you are in the Matchplay or not.”
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of his interview came when he confessed he genuinely fears losing his Tour Card if results do not improve.
“I feel like I am just fighting to keep my Tour Card at the moment. I am playing that badly. So that win is huge.”
For professional darts players, a Tour Card represents career security. It guarantees access to the main PDC circuit and allows players to compete regularly in ranking events, televised tournaments and qualifiers. Losing that status can completely change a player’s career path and make it significantly harder to earn prize money consistently.
The fact Joyce is even thinking about that possibility shows the extent of his recent struggles.
The Englishman has spent years establishing himself as a respected name within professional darts. He has enjoyed strong runs at major tournaments and produced memorable performances against elite players on some of the sport’s biggest stages.
Fans still remember the composure he showed during deep televised tournament runs where he repeatedly upset higher-ranked opponents. His calm temperament and ability to produce crucial finishes under pressure earned admiration throughout the sport.
At his best, Joyce became known as one of the toughest players to draw in any tournament.
However, the level across professional darts has continued rising dramatically over recent years. The emergence of younger stars combined with the incredible strength in depth across the PDC means even established players can quickly slide down the rankings if confidence disappears.
One or two poor tournaments can easily become months of frustration.
Joyce’s struggles this season reflect just how unforgiving modern darts has become. Despite previously being one of the more consistent players on the circuit, he has endured repeated early exits and failed to build momentum.
Those disappointing results naturally created growing concerns about his ranking position and long-term future.
The emotional weight of the situation became even clearer when Joyce admitted losing streaks can make players question how much longer their careers might last.
“I would never retire from darts voluntarily,” Joyce said. “I’d have to lose my Tour Card first.”
Still, he acknowledged that repeated defeats can create frightening thoughts.
“When you lose a lot of games in a row, you think the end might be closer than you expected.”
It was a painfully honest statement from a player clearly battling self-doubt after months of frustration.
Despite everything, Joyce insisted he remains determined to fight through the slump and rediscover his best form. He pointed to difficult periods earlier in his career where he eventually managed to recover and rebuild confidence.
“I’m going to keep trying right until the end, whenever I eventually lose my Tour Card, and hopefully that’s still a long way off,” he said. “Hopefully this is just a little slump.”
He added: “I’ve had slumps in form before and I’ve always come out the other side, so hopefully this will be the same.”
Those comments revealed there is still hope and determination behind the frustration.
In darts, momentum can shift incredibly quickly. One strong performance or one deep tournament run often has the power to completely transform confidence levels. Players who appear lost can suddenly rediscover rhythm almost overnight.
Joyce will now hope his victory over Clemens proves to be the turning point that changes his season.
For supporters, his emotional interview also offered a rare glimpse into the hidden pressures players face away from the cameras and crowds. While darts is often viewed as entertainment filled with dramatic checkouts and loud atmospheres, the reality behind the scenes can be mentally exhausting.
Players are constantly fighting for rankings, earnings and career security, and long losing streaks can quickly become emotionally draining.
Joyce’s honesty about fearing for his Tour Card highlighted the brutal reality of life on the professional circuit.
But after finally ending his barren run in Graz, the experienced Englishman will now hope the hardest period of his season may finally be coming to an end.
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