James Wade has withdrawn from the 2026 Czech Darts Open, marking his second consecutive European Tour absence after also pulling out of last weekend's Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest. Wade was originally seeded for the Prague event, which runs from September 4-6, but will now not compete. Ricky Evans has been promoted from the reserve list to take his place in the field.
This withdrawal follows Wade's late exit from the Hungarian Darts Trophy, where he was initially among the top-16 seeds before Madars Razma replaced him. PDC Europe confirmed the original seeding, but no reason has been given for Wade's latest withdrawal.
Evans now enters the Czech Darts Open at short notice, beginning his tournament in the first round on Friday afternoon against Kevin Doets. The winner will face Danny Noppert in the second round on Saturday.
For Wade, missing another European Tour weekend is significant in the race for the European Championship. After 11 of 15 events, he sits 30th on the European Tour Order of Merit with £31,000, only £1,500 above Joe Cullen in the final provisional qualification spot. With four tournaments remaining, starting with Prague, Wade has fewer chances to secure his place in the top 32.
His absence comes less than two weeks after winning the Australian Darts Masters in Wollongong, where he claimed his first World Series title by beating Brody Klinge 8-5 in the final. The Czech Darts Open begins in Prague on Friday, with first-round winners joining seeded players in round two on Saturday, before the tournament concludes on Sunday.
