Cameron Menzies has opened up about the health scare that saw him hospitalised last year, revealing that dehydration was the cause of his high blood pressure. The Scot, who recently won Players Championship 29 in Den Bosch, spoke candidly about the incident and his renewed focus on health.
Menzies described the terrifying moment on a flight to Switzerland when he felt like he was having a heart attack. With heart problems in his family, he underwent tests and was advised to lose weight. Later, after further health scares, dehydration was suspected. He then spent ten hours in the Glasgow Jubilee, where checks showed no serious issues apart from slightly high blood pressure. "They believe it was dehydration. And it caused my blood pressure to go high because I was panicking," Menzies said.
Now, the 2026 Players Championship 29 winner is taking steps to look after himself during long tournament days. "I need to look after myself a bit more. For example, now I'll go back to my room and drink water and electrolytes. It's the little things. We're not all athletes here, I get that. But these are long days. I was here at half past nine this morning," he explained. He has also changed his diet, swapping his usual pizza for porridge. "My breakfast today was porridge and I haven't eaten since. Usually I'd grab a pizza now, but I'm trying to do better."
Menzies' victory in Den Bosch was his second Players Championship title of 2026 and the fourth ProTour crown of his career. It also marked the first time he has won two Players Championships in the same calendar year. The win came after a chaotic build-up that included a cancelled flight, a 17-hour trek to the Netherlands, and considering flying back home. "If you actually found out how bad yesterday was," Menzies told the PDC. "We had an absolute nightmare. Flights cancelled. We travelled for 17 hours yesterday, we were so close to just going home."
In the final, Menzies defeated Gian van Veen 8-4, racing into a 5-0 lead before Van Veen fought back. "The first four legs everything was going in," he recalled. "Then I had a little bit of a lull, and he started to find it." Menzies managed his emotions carefully, showing emotion when he went 6-3 up to stop the rot. "But sometimes, when I show emotion, I've done it, and then the next three throws at the board I've had nothing because the adrenaline leaves your body." He cited Ross Smith as an example of calmness, saying, "Look at Ross Smith. He's just won the World Series and I know how much that means to him, but he looks like he's just playing on a Monday night. I know inside his heart he's ecstatic. I'd love to be more like him and Steve Beaton."
Reflecting on his season, Menzies said, "I made my first Euro Tour semi-final this year, although Ross then gave me a hiding. I feel like I'm learning my trade slowly. I think this is my fifth year on Tour and I've won four ProTours. I don't think that's bad." His aims for the rest of the season include a deep run at a big TV event. "My aim is to make a good life for myself. That's the aim that I think is achievable, but winning a major and having a good run at the World Championship would be amazing." He added, "I've put more effort in this year than I ever have because I nearly lost it all and I'm grateful to be in this position."
Menzies also noted the changing mindset across darts, with more players investing in fitness and health. "You see a lot of players running, walking, and taking better care of themselves now. All the young lads are coming through. They've grown up with clubs and youth systems, while we grew up in clubs and pubs. They're coming after us, so we have to look after ourselves better too."
