James Wade finally put an end to a ten‑year wait for a European Tour crown when he defeated Ross Smith 8‑4 in the final of the Flanders Darts Trophy. The 43‑year‑old, whose previous continental success came at the 2016 European Darts Matchplay in Hamburg, delivered an impressive 95.50 three‑dart average and hit five maximum 180s during the Antwerp showdown on Sunday evening. Wade's road to the title was nothing short of dominant. Earlier in the day he dispatched Damon Heta 7‑4 in the semi‑final, after a flawless 6‑0 whitewash of Danny Noppert in the quarter‑finals and a nail‑biting 6‑5 victory over Rob Cross in the last‑16 round.

"Some weeks it's good, sometimes it's bad. That's how it is for me," Wade said after collecting the £35,000 winner's cheque. "If it was good all the time, I'd smash them all to bits.

We can't always select how we feel." The win is especially significant because Wade first appeared in a European Tour final back in 2012 in Austria, and this victory marks his success in the 150th event on the tour. Smith, who had captured the Hungarian Darts Trophy just two weeks earlier, had a tough day of his own, overcoming Gian van Veen, Ryan Joyce and Gerwyn Price in last‑leg deciders before reaching the final.

"I rode my luck today and the players have let me off, but Wade doesn't let you off ever," Smith admitted. "I admire him. I watch his game and I can only admire the guy.

James thoroughly deserved the win today. He's just—he's absolute class, isn’t he?" The European Tour will continue with the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel from 9‑11 October, giving players another chance to chase titles before the season’s climax.

Below is a summary of the results from the Flanders Darts Trophy: Sunday 13 September – Evening Session – Final: James Wade 8‑4 Ross Smith Semi‑Finals: Ross Smith 7‑6 Gian van Veen; James Wade 7‑4 Damon Heta Quarter‑Finals: Gian van Veen 6‑3 Chris Dobey; Ross Smith 6‑5 Ryan Joyce; James Wade 6‑0 Danny Noppert; Damon Heta 6‑5 Nathan Aspinall Afternoon Session – Round Three: Gian van Veen 6‑5 Kevin Doets; Chris Dobey 6‑5 Ryan Searle; Ryan Joyce 6‑5 Jermaine Wattimena; Ross Smith 6‑5 Gerwyn Price; James Wade 6‑5 Rob Cross; Danny Noppert 6‑4 Wessel Nijman; Damon Heta 6‑3 Luke Woodhouse; Nathan Aspinall 6‑4 Stephen Bunting In related news, the 32‑player field for the 2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester has been confirmed following the conclusion of the Belgian event. Defending champion Luke Littler is among the competitors vying for a newly increased top prize of £150,000, with the tournament scheduled for 28 September to 4 October and all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The official draw will be conducted on Monday 14 September. The seeded top‑16 from the PDC rankings for the Grand Prix are: 1.

Luke Littler, 2. Luke Humphries, 3.

Gian van Veen, 4. Gerwyn Price, 5.

Jonny Clayton, 6. James Wade, 7. Josh Rock, 8. Danny Noppert, 9.

Michael van Gerwen, 10. Gary Anderson, 11.

Stephen Bunting, 12. Wessel Nijman, 13. Ross Smith, 14.

Ryan Searle, 15. Chris Dobey, 16.

Nathan Aspinall. Qualifiers from the ProTour Rankings include Luke Woodhouse, Kevin Doets, Jermaine Wattimena, 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.

Sky Sports remains the primary broadcaster for darts this season, covering the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January). Fans can also stream all events and additional content via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract, ensuring continuous access to the sport’s biggest moments.