Wessel Nijman continued his superb start to the year by claiming a fourth Players Championship title of 2026, defeating Jermaine Wattimena in a hard-fought and nervy final. The Dutchman admitted afterwards that the deciding match was far from straightforward, with missed chances early on putting him under pressure.
“It was kind of a nervy final, wasn’t it? Because I came from behind,” Nijman reflected. “In the first few legs I missed some doubles, and I even bust myself on 16, that’s obviously not something that happens much. I think I made it too difficult for myself, but I’m so happy I kept it together. Especially the finishes I got at the end, that 57 was important. In the end, I got the luck back because Jermaine missed some doubles. I’m just happy.”
He opened up his day with a 6-2 win over Scott Williams and had his scare as he saw off Tom Sykes surviving a match dart in the process. He then swept aside Sebastian Bialecki before taking down Ryan Searle by the same scoreline - a sixth straight win over the World Championship semi-finalist. He then continued with a 6-2 win over Nathan Potter then came his best display of the day as he saw off Tom Bissell averaging 103 to seal a 7-4 victory. This in turn saw him set up that tie with Wattimena that he didn't lead for the most part but ended up getting over the line eventually.
Nijman’s resilience has become a defining feature of his recent form, repeatedly recovering from small mistakes to come through tight matches. “That’s probably how the whole day went. Sometimes I make it too difficult for myself by missing chances,” he said. “But in the end, I think all the matches I won, I deserved to win. Maybe the one against Tom Sykes, because he missed a match dart earlier in the day. But in all the others, I think I was the deserved winner, and I think it was the same in the final.”
Beyond the silverware, the win also carries significant ranking implications. By overcoming Wattimena in the final, Nijman moves back into the world’s top 16, edging ahead of his fellow Dutchman in what is shaping up to be a tight battle. “I don’t know the exact numbers, but I knew me and Jermaine were close, about £2,000 in it,” Nijman said. “So we’ll be close again over the next few months, obviously. But yes, this is a big step into the top 16, and I hope I can make many more steps.” With his form continuing to surge, Nijman is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous players on the circuit. While he is unsure whether opponents are wary of facing him, he admits he would welcome that reputation. “No, not really. I’m not sure if everybody feels like that, but I hope they all do.”
