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 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 the Dutchman responded with a strong performance at the Robin Park Tennis Centre. Nijman's path to the title included a hard-fought win against Martin Lukeman and a decisive victory over Justin Hood. He then averaged nearly 110 in a six-leg demolition of Adam Gawlas and followed up with wins over Niels Zonneveld and Beau Greaves. In the final, Nijman capitalized on a slow start from Waites to establish an early lead, which set the tone for his dominant display. Despite Waites narrowing the gap in leg three, Nijman regained control and sparked a five-leg sequence that saw him take a 7-1 advantage. Waites managed to double his score, but Nijman retaliated to win with a 101.34 average. Nijman reflected on his performance, stating, 'Today was probably the best floor event I've played all year. I hit many averages above 105, and it was a really good day.' He also expressed his happiness with his overall performance and noted that these types of events seem to suit him. Nijman is now targeting more silverware in the upcoming European Darts Grand Prix and is aiming to break into the top 16. Elsewhere, Beau Greaves made it back-to-back quarter-finals with an impressive showing, featuring wins over Martin Schindler and Cameron Menzies.