James Wade finally put an end to a ten‑year wait for a European Tour championship when he overcame Ross Smith 8‑4 in the final of the Flanders Darts Trophy. The 43‑year‑old, who had not lifted a continental trophy since his victory at the European Darts Matchplay in Hamburg back in 2016, delivered a superb performance in Antwerp on Sunday evening, posting a 95.50 three‑dart average and hitting five maximum 180s during the decisive match. Wade's route to the final was nothing short of impressive. Earlier in the day he dispatched Damon Heta 7‑4 in the semi‑final, after a dominant 6‑0 whitewash of Danny Noppert in the quarter‑finals and a nail‑biting 6‑5 win over Rob Cross in the round of 16.
"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 share.
"If it was good all the time, I'd smash them all to bits. We can't always select how we feel." The victory was particularly meaningful for Wade because it marked his first European Tour final win since his debut appearance in the Austria event in 2012, and it also represented his triumph in the 150th European Tour tournament overall.
Smith, who had captured the Hungarian Darts Trophy just two weeks earlier, had fought his way to the final by edging out Gian van Veen, Ryan Joyce and Gerwyn Price in last‑leg deciders on the same day. "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, scheduled for 9‑11 October. The full results from the Flanders event were as follows: 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 highlights: 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 finalized 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 set to run from 28 September to 4 October. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and the official draw will be conducted on Monday 14 September. The seeded players, drawn from the top 16 of the PDC rankings, 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. Additional 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 live coverage and additional darts content through the NOW platform without a long‑term contract, ensuring that the sport remains accessible to a broad audience across the UK and beyond. Wade's triumph not only ends a personal decade‑long drought but also adds another chapter to his storied career, highlighting his resilience and ability to perform under pressure.
As the season progresses, his form will be closely watched, especially with the upcoming Swiss event and the high‑stakes Grand Prix looming on the horizon. Whether he can add more titles to his résumé remains to be seen, but his performance in Flanders has certainly reminded the darts world that he remains a formidable contender on the European stage.