Nijman Clinches Fourth Ranking Title of 2026

Dutch darts sensation Wessel Nijman continued his exceptional start to 2026, securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. Nijman dominated the final, defeating former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites 8-2 to reclaim the top spot in the Players Championship rankings. This victory came after Chris Dobey briefly overtook Nijman following his win at Players Championship Nine, but Nijman responded with an emphatic performance at the Robin Park Tennis Centre. Following a tough win against Martin Lukeman in the opener, Nijman went on to defeat Justin Hood, prompting the start of a remarkable march towards victory. Nijman delivered impressive performances throughout the tournament, including a six-leg demolition of Adam Gawlas, where he averaged almost 110. He then followed up with victories over Niels Zonneveld and Beau Greaves, averaging 109.71 and 108.46 respectively. In the final, Nijman capitalized on Waites' slow start, establishing an early lead and setting the tone for a dominant display. Despite Waites reducing the deficit in leg three, Nijman regained control with a 12-darter to lead 3-1, sparking a five-leg sequence that saw him power into a 7-1 advantage. Waites managed to double his tally with a comfortable hold of throw in leg nine, but this was merely a consolation as Nijman retaliated with a 15-dart hold to triumph with a 101.34 average. "Today was probably the best floor event I've played all year," Nijman admitted. "I hit so many averages above 105, it was a really good day. When I broke again to make it 4-1, it was a really good feeling through the rest of the match and it helped me in the final. I'm happy with the way I played in the final and the way I played all day. Maybe these kinds of events suit me." Nijman also achieved a maiden big-stage success at last month's European Darts Trophy and is targeting more silverware in this weekend's European Darts Grand Prix. "When I'm in that zone and playing good, I could play all day like that," continued the Dutchman, who climbs to 18th on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder. "The top 16 was the goal for the year. The earlier I get that, the better it is. I lost in Munich and Wieze in the first round, but I hope I do a lot better in Sindelfingen this weekend." Elsewhere, Beau Greaves made it back-to-back quarter-finals following another impressive showing, featuring wins over German No 1 Martin Schindler and Scottish star Cameron Menzies. The final standings were as follows: Last 16 - Wessel Nijman 6-3 Niels Zonneveld, Beau Greaves 6-4 Cameron Menzies, Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Scott Williams, Joe Hunt 6-5 Josh Rock, Chris Dobey 6-4 Daniel Klose, Karel Sedlacek 6-4 James Hurrell, Scott Waites 6-4 Brendan Dolan, Kevin Doets 6-0 Gabriel Clemens. Quarter-Finals - Wessel Nijman 6-2 Beau Greaves, Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Joe Hunt, Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Chris Dobey, Scott Waites 6-4 Kevin Doets. Semi-Finals - Wessel Nijman 7-4 Luke Woodhouse, Scott Waites 7-5 Karel Sedlacek. Final - Wessel Nijman 8-2 Scott Waites. The Premier League Darts is set to kick off, with Luke Humphries defending his title, and the action can be watched every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.