James Wade finally put an end to a ten‑year wait for a European Tour crown when he overcame Ross Smith 8‑4 in the final of the Flanders Darts Trophy. The 43‑year‑old, whose last continental triumph came at the 2016 European Darts Matchplay in Hamburg, produced a superb performance in Antwerp on Sunday evening, averaging 95.50 and hitting five perfect 180s.
Wade's path to the championship was anything but easy. In the last‑16 he edged a tightly contested 6‑5 win over former world champion Rob Cross, then delivered a dominant 6‑0 whitewash of Danny Noppert in the quarter‑finals. The semi‑final saw him dispatch Australia’s Damon Heta 7‑4, setting up the showdown with the in‑form Englishman Ross Smith. After collecting the £35,000 winner's prize, Wade reflected on the emotional roller‑coaster that has characterised his career: "Some weeks it's good, sometimes it's bad.
That's how it is for me. If it was good all the time, I'd smash them all to bits. We can't always select how we feel." His candid comments underscored the mental resilience required to compete at the highest level of professional darts.
The victory was particularly significant because it marked Wade’s first European Tour final win since his debut appearance in Austria back in 2012, and it came in the 150th event on the tour’s calendar. For Smith, who had captured the Hungarian Darts Trophy just two weeks earlier, the loss was a disappointment but he remained gracious.
"I rode my luck today and the players have let me off, but Wadey doesn’t let you off ever," he said, adding that he admires Wade’s skill and professionalism. "James thoroughly deserved the win today. He's just absolute class, isn’t he?" The Flanders Darts Trophy also produced a number of other notable results.
In the semi‑finals, Smith survived a nail‑biting 7‑6 victory over Gian van Veen, while Wade’s 7‑4 win over Heta confirmed his dominance. The quarter‑finals featured a mix of tight contests and blowouts: van Veen defeated Chris Dobey 6‑3, Smith edged Ryan Joyce 6‑5, Wade blanked Noppert 6‑0, and Heta survived a 6‑5 thriller against Nathan Aspinall. Earlier in the day’s afternoon session, the field of 32 players produced a series of dramatic matches. Gian van Veen survived a 6‑5 battle with Kevin Doets, Chris Dobey edged Kevin Doets by the same margin, and Ryan Searle overcame Ryan Joyce in yet another 6‑5 encounter.
Jermaine Wattimena, Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price, and James Wade each secured 6‑5 victories over their opponents, highlighting the depth of competition on the European Tour. Beyond the immediate excitement of the Flanders event, the weekend also served as a prelude to the 2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester. The 32‑player field for that tournament was confirmed, featuring defending champion Luke Littler among a host of top‑ranked players. The Grand Prix will offer a newly‑boosted top prize of £150,000 and will be staged from September 28 to October 4, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The seeded players, drawn from the PDC rankings, include Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Josh Rock, Danny Noppert, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting, Wessel Nijman, Ross Smith, Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall. Qualifiers from the ProTour rankings round out the field, bringing together a mix of seasoned veterans and rising talents such as Krzysztof Ratajski, Andrew Gilding, William O'Connor, Damon Heta, Rob Cross, Ryan Joyce, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Niels Zonneveld, Cameron Menzies, Niko Springer, Dave Chisnall, Sebastian Bialecki and Joe Cullen. The European Tour will continue with the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel, scheduled for October 9‑11, offering further opportunities for players to chase titles and for fans to enjoy high‑quality darts action.
Sky Sports remains the primary broadcaster for the sport, covering the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14‑22) and the World Darts Championship (December 10‑January 3). Viewers can also stream matches and additional content through the NOW platform without a long‑term contract, ensuring that darts enthusiasts have flexible access to the sport’s biggest moments.