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, whose last continental triumph came at the 2016 European Darts Matchplay in Hamburg, delivered a superb performance in Antwerp on Sunday evening, posting a 95.50 three‑dart average and launching five maximum 180s during the showdown.
Wade's road to the title 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 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 reflected after collecting the £35,000 winner's purse.
"If it was good all the time, I'd smash them all to bits. We can't always select how we feel." The win was particularly significant because Wade had previously reached his first European Tour final back in 2012 in Austria, and this victory marked his success in the 150th European Tour event overall.
His opponent, Ross Smith, entered the final fresh from a recent victory at the Hungarian Darts Trophy, where he had survived last‑leg deciders against Gian van Veen, Ryan Joyce and Gerwyn Price on the same day. Smith praised Wade after the match, saying, "I rode my luck today and the players have let me off, but Wade doesn't let you off ever. 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 absolutely class, isn't he?" The European Tour schedule now turns its attention to the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel, slated for 9‑11 October, where the momentum will shift to a new set of competitors.
The full results from the Flanders event were as follows: - Final (Evening Session, Sunday 13 September): 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) featured close contests such as 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, and several other tightly fought matches. Beyond the Flanders tournament, the darts calendar is packed with major events.
The 2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester has confirmed its 32‑player field following the conclusion of the Belgian weekend. Defending champion Luke Littler joins a roster that includes top‑ranked players such as Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade himself, Josh Rock, Danny Noppert, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting, Wessel Nijman, Ross Smith, Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall.
The competition will take place from 28 September to 4 October, with a newly increased top prize of £150,000, and every session will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Qualifiers from the ProTour rankings add depth to the draw, featuring names like 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.
The draw for the Grand Prix is scheduled for Monday 14 September. Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts throughout the season, covering the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December – 3 January).
Fans can also stream matches and additional content via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract, ensuring that the excitement of professional darts remains accessible to a global audience. Wade's triumph in Flanders not only ends a personal decade‑long title drought but also reinforces his status as one of the sport's most resilient and skilled competitors.
His ability to navigate through a field of emerging talents and seasoned veterans alike demonstrates the depth of experience he brings to the oche. As the season progresses, his performance will be closely watched, especially with the upcoming Swiss event and the high‑stakes World Grand Prix on the horizon.
Whether he can add more titles to his résumé or other players will step up to challenge his dominance remains to be seen, but for now, James Wade can savor the satisfaction of finally breaking his European Tour silence and adding another prestigious trophy to his cabinet.