Nijman Claims Fourth Ranking Title of 2026 with Dominant Display

Wessel Nijman continued his impressive start to 2026 by securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. Nijman defeated 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. Nijman's path to the title included hard-fought wins against Martin Lukeman and Justin Hood, before he gained momentum with a series of dominant performances. He averaged nearly 110 in a six-leg win against Adam Gawlas, then followed up with victories over Niels Zonneveld and Beau Greaves. Nijman's semi-final match against Luke Woodhouse saw him average 108.46, and he maintained his high level of play in the final against Waites, capitalizing on a slow start by his opponent to establish an early lead. Despite Waites narrowing the gap in leg three, Nijman responded with a 12-darter to lead 3-1 and went on to win five consecutive legs, taking a 7-1 advantage. Waites managed to double his score with a comfortable hold in leg nine, but Nijman sealed the victory with a 15-dart hold, finishing with a 101.34 average. 'Today was probably the best floor event I've played all year,' Nijman admitted. '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 for the rest of the match and helped me in the final.' Nijman, who also won Players Championships Two and Eight, expressed happiness with his performance in the final and throughout the day, suggesting that these types of events might suit him. Following his maiden big-stage success at the European Darts Trophy last month, Nijman is now targeting more silverware at the European Darts Grand Prix. 'When I'm in that zone and playing well, I could play all day like that,' he said, aiming for a top-16 spot on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder. Elsewhere, Beau Greaves made back-to-back quarter-finals with notable wins over Martin Schindler and Cameron Menzies. The final standings saw Nijman face Waites in the final, with Nijman emerging as the champion.