Wessel Nijman no longer needs to explain why the bookmakers rate him so highly. The 26-year-old North Hollander is having an exceptional season and has surged into the world's elite at speed. After six floor titles and two Euro Tour wins in 2026, the world's top ten, the Premier League, and even a spot in the Dutch team for the World Cup of Darts are now within reach.
Yet Nijman remains strikingly down to earth. While in England he is routinely billed as a Dutch revelation, wonderkid or new superstar, the Uitgeest thrower prefers to focus on what happens on the oche. "We've heard that story about the bookmakers by now, right," Nijman says with a laugh in conversation with the AD. For the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, only Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are rated as stronger favourites for the title. That is far less surprising than a few years ago. In 2026 Nijman has already won six Players Championship events and two Euro Tours, putting him in a select group of players to claim that many PDC titles in a single calendar year. He is not swayed by those statistics. "I read recently that the gap between my first and tenth title was one of the shortest ever. Those kinds of things... I'm not too bothered, to be honest. What I find most impressive is going from nothing to world number 12 in two and a half years, with a view on the top 10."
That development gained extra momentum late last year when Nijman decided to go all-in on his darts career and quit his job. His daily preparation changed drastically as a result. "It's a bit of timing and luck, but the biggest change is that I haven't worked since 01.12. I used to try to throw for an hour after work, but that almost never happened. Now I'm at the board three hours a day." The results followed almost immediately, making the decision much easier. Nijman rejects the idea that talent alone is enough. "Not if you don't put a lot into it. Yes, if you put the work in. The advantage is it's paying off straight away now. If you quit your job and don't perform (and don't earn, ed.), the pressure ramps up." Financially, the move has paid off handsomely so far. This calendar year, Nijman has earned £297,000 in prize money, roughly €350,000. Only world champion Littler has banked more in 2026. Gerwyn Price, Ross Smith and James Wade are next behind the Dutchman. Still, Nijman adds a caveat to his haul. "I don't want to talk myself down, but at many of the tournaments I won this year, Littler and Humphries didn't play. Not that I'm any less proud, but it does change things a bit."
That stance suits Nijman. Where others are highly active on social media or share the ins and outs of tour life, he prefers to keep some distance. A flashy nickname is also absent. "I've never heard a good nickname," says Nijman, who likewise doesn't feel the need to accept every interview or social media request. "I pick my moments. I like Gian van Veen's vlogs, for example, but that's not for me. And if I take every interview and tell the same story four times, the fun soon disappears, right? I try to keep that distance a little." His results are generating plenty of attention anyway. Nijman is ranked 12th in the world and has the top ten in sight. A position that seemed barely imaginable a few years ago. "If you'd said that two years ago, I wouldn't have believed you. That's just not how the world looked then." He is referring to the period when his career sat in a very different place after a suspension for match-fixing during an online tournament. With his performances, he has since fought his way back to the international elite. Nijman is just £28,500 behind Danny Noppert, who sits 10th on the PDC Order of Merit.
The next step is obvious. Nijman now has eleven titles to his name but is still waiting for his first truly big one on TV. The World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam offer a fresh opportunity. On Friday evening he opens against Simon Whitlock. A deep run in Amsterdam does mean Nijman will miss another AZ match. He is a keen supporter and renewed his season ticket for this season. "I've renewed my AZ season ticket. I'd also have liked to go to Sunderland away this week, but well... Time-wise, that risk was just too big." It's becoming almost a tradition that AZ produce something special whenever Nijman is on the oche himself. Two years ago he was also playing the World Series of Darts Finals at AFAS Live. After his match he discovered that AZ had beaten Heerenveen 9-1 in the meantime. "Story of my life. I was abroad as well when they won the cup final. I reckon the year I ever make the Premier League (and I'm away a lot) will be the year AZ are champions again, haha." Nijman is cautiously positive about the current AZ side. "No, I don't think so. It always feels like we start the season well and once the European competitions begin, we dip. But Leeroy Echteld is a good coach. I get the sense you can't get away with much under him. That's good with such a young group."
Nijman also doesn't want to get ahead of himself regarding a Premier League berth. His strong first half of the season has put him in an excellent position, but he knows the key TV majors are still to come. "It would be implausible for me to say that's 100 percent going to happen. The year is structured so it's mainly about the second half. My first half won't contribute all that much. Now is when the trophies are decided." On the world ranking, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, and Danny Noppert are currently still ahead of him. If Nijman keeps climbing, World Cup of Darts selection will also come into view. For that, he must be among the two highest-ranked Dutchmen. He likes the idea of representing the Netherlands. Especially because, as a youngster, Nijman watched Raymond van Barneveld and Van Gerwen play together for Oranje. "That's still a way off, but when you used to see Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen play, you naturally thought about how special that could be. I also think Gian and I could be a good pair." For now, though, the focus is on Amsterdam. The top 10 is within reach, the Premier League is attainable, and Oranje no longer feels unrealistic. But first, there's still one major item missing from Nijman's CV: a big major title.
