Nijman Claims Fourth Title of 2026 with Dominant Display

Dutch darts sensation Wessel Nijman continued his impressive start to 2026, securing his fourth ranking title of the year at the Players Championship 10 in Wigan. Nijman overpowered 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 comes after Chris Dobey briefly surpassed Nijman following his win at Players Championship Nine, only for Nijman to respond with a commanding performance at the Robin Park Tennis Centre. Following a tough win against Martin Lukeman in his opening match, Nijman went on to defeat Justin Hood, setting the stage for a remarkable march to victory. He averaged nearly 110 in a six-leg demolition of Adam Gawlas and continued his relentless form with victories over Niels Zonneveld and Beau Greaves. The 25-year-old's dominance was evident as he averaged 109.71 to sweep aside Greaves in the quarter-finals and 108.46 in his semi-final against Luke Woodhouse. Nijman maintained this impressive form in the final, capitalizing on Waites' slow start to establish an early lead. Despite Waites reducing the deficit in leg three, Nijman regained control with a 12-darter, sparking a five-leg sequence that saw him take a 7-1 lead. Waites managed to double his score 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 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 throughout the rest of the match and 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, who also recently achieved his first big-stage success at the European Darts Trophy, is now targeting more silverware in the upcoming European Darts Grand Prix. "When I'm in that zone and playing well, I could play all day like that," he continued. "The top 16 was the goal for the year. The earlier I achieve 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 with an impressive performance, featuring wins over German No 1 Martin Schindler and Scottish star Cameron Menzies. The last 16 saw Nijman defeat Niels Zonneveld 6-3, while Greaves overcame Cameron Menzies 6-4. In the quarter-finals, Nijman beat Greaves 6-2, and in the semi-finals, he defeated Luke Woodhouse 7-4. The final standings saw Nijman emerge victorious, winning 8-2 against Scott Waites. With the Premier League Darts title defense by Luke Humphries approaching, fans can watch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, streaming darts and more top sports with NOW.