Nijman Claims Fourth Ranking Title of 2026 with Dominant Performance

Wessel Nijman continued his impressive start to 2026, securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. He defeated former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites 8-2 in the final to reclaim the top spot in the Players Championship rankings. Nijman's path to victory was marked by a series of dominant performances, including a hard-fought win against Martin Lukeman and a merciless display against Beau Greaves. He averaged 109.71 to sweep aside Greaves in the quarterfinals and 108.46 in his semifinal showdown against Luke Woodhouse. In the final, Nijman capitalized on a slow start from Waites to establish an early lead, which set the tone for another dominant display. Despite Waites briefly narrowing the gap, Nijman regained control and powered into a 7-1 advantage. Waites managed to double his tally, but 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. "I hit so many averages above 105, it was a really good day." Nijman, who also won Players Championships Two and Eight, broke new ground with 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," he continued. "The top 16 was the goal for the year. The earlier I get that, the better it is." Elsewhere, Greaves made it back-to-back quarterfinals with an impressive showing, featuring wins over German No 1 Martin Schindler and Scottish star Cameron Menzies. Nijman's victory has propelled him to 18th on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder, and he is now focused on securing a spot in the top 16. The Players Championship 10 results saw Nijman face off against Niels Zonneveld, Beau Greaves, Luke Woodhouse, and Scott Waites in the latter stages of the tournament. With his sights set on the European Darts Grand Prix, Nijman is confident of his abilities and is ready to take on the challenge.