Mensur Suljovic produced a clinical display on home soil at the Austrian Darts Open, defeating Cameron Menzies 6-2 in Graz. The 'Gentle Giant' pinned six from eight doubles while averaging over 94, keeping his opponent at arm's length in front of a passionate home crowd and his loving family. “It’s not just the audience — it’s my family,” he said after the match. “I’m playing in front of my family now, so there’s double pressure, unfortunately. But it feels absolutely great.”
However, in an interview with Dartsnews.com after the match, Suljovic quickly turned his attention to criticising the PDC. He complained about the setup of events such as the Players Championship and Premier League Darts, hinting at fewer events on the calendar. “I don’t really like the current Players Championship and Premier League setup, where many of the best players don’t show up,” he stated. “That’s why there’s always a new winner. Unfortunately, it hurts the rankings. We need fewer weeks on the PDC calendar, but nothing changes.”
Suljovic explained his frustrations further, pointing out that many top players skip European Tour events. In Graz this weekend, there is no Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Gary Anderson or Nathan Aspinall. The world number one has yet to appear on the floor in 2026. “At Players Championship events, okay, there can always be surprises. But on the European Tour, the best 16 are supposed to play,” he continued. “When hardly any of them come, it changes everything. Our rankings suffer because of it. Players stay in England and skip Players Championship events — how is that possible? Now someone like him or me can win. Hello — that shouldn’t happen if all the top 16 are there. Back in 2017 and 2018, the top 16 always won. Now the rankings fluctuate too much, and I don’t accept that honestly. Something has to change.”
Despite his criticism, Suljovic remains focused on his own ambitions. Currently ranked 43rd in the post-2026/27 PDC World Darts Championship rankings, he is comfortably in range of securing his tour card. “No, the Tour Card is always the priority — always for next year,” he said. “But the bigger goals are still the major events: qualifying for Blackpool, Dublin, the World Grand Prix. For years I felt I belonged at those tournaments, but unfortunately I had health problems. Now I want to get back there, enjoy those tournaments again, and compete in England where the atmosphere is absolutely incredible when the crowd gets behind you. And in Austria, it’s a completely different feeling again.”
Suljovic will also feature in the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt this coming June, partnering Rowby-John Rodriguez. He gave an honest view of his teammate's current progress: “I have to be honest — Rowby‑John Rodriguez is in good form at the moment. Yesterday in Kuala Lumpur he maybe wasn’t at his very best, but overall he’s developed really well. We definitely need to train together, and I hope one day we’ll play in Frankfurt, Graz or Vienna again. Then I think we’ll have a real chance to win.” Next up for Suljovic in Graz is a second-round clash with James Wade, as he looks to make it back-to-back third round appearances on the European Tour.
