Nijman Claims Fourth Ranking Title of 2026 with Dominant Display

Wessel Nijman continued his exceptional start to 2026 by securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. Nijman overwhelmed former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites 8-2 in the final to regain the top spot in the Players Championship rankings. This victory came after Chris Dobey briefly overtook Nijman following his win at Players Championship Nine, only for the Dutchman to bounce back in impressive fashion at the Robin Park Tennis Centre. Following a challenging win against Martin Lukeman in his opener, Nijman eliminated Monday's runner-up Justin Hood to advance to round three, marking the beginning of his march towards victory. With a remarkable average of almost 110 in a six-leg demolition of Adam Gawlas, Nijman proceeded to defeat his compatriot Niels Zonneveld and then delivered another outstanding performance against Beau Greaves. The 25-year-old achieved an average of 109.71 to sweep aside Greaves in the quarterfinals, before averaging 108.46 in his semifinal against Luke Woodhouse. Nijman was equally dominant in the final, capitalizing on Waites' slow start to establish an early lead, which set the tone for another commanding display. Despite Waites narrowing the gap 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 score with a comfortable hold of throw in leg nine, but this was merely a consolation, as Nijman responded 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, also referencing his wins at Players Championships Two and Eight. "I hit 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, Greaves made it back-to-back quarterfinals following another impressive showing, featuring wins over German No 1 Martin Schindler and Scottish star Cameron Menzies. Last 16 results included Wessel Nijman defeating Niels Zonneveld 6-3, Beau Greaves overcoming Cameron Menzies 6-4, and Scott Waites beating Brendan Dolan 6-4. Quarterfinals saw Nijman defeat Greaves 6-2, while Waites beat Kevin Doets 6-4. The semifinals featured Nijman against Luke Woodhouse and Waites against Karel Sedlacek, with Nijman and Waites emerging victorious. The final match resulted in Nijman's 8-2 win over Waites. The Premier League Darts title is up for grabs, with Luke Humphries defending his title, and the action can be watched every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.