The World Grand Prix is upon us again, and with it comes a fierce battle for the Sid Waddell Trophy — but for a sizeable group of players, Leicester means far more than pride. A significant amount of prize money earned at the same event two years ago is on the line, and an early exit could have serious consequences on the PDC Order of Merit.
Two years ago, Mike De Decker lifted the World Grand Prix title and banked £120,000. This year, however, the Belgian is a surprise absentee after failing to qualify. Currently 24th on the PDC Order of Merit, the 30-year-old is expected to drop outside the top 32 once his 2024 prize money falls away. Dimitri Van den Bergh is also missing in Leicester. 'The Dreammaker' reached the semi-finals two years ago, losing 5-4 to compatriot De Decker, earning £40,000. That prize money will now fall off the ranking entirely, and Van den Bergh — currently 46th — is projected to slide to around 60th, putting his PDC Tour Card at risk. He has not yet qualified for the other major ranking events scheduled later this autumn.
Luke Humphries lost the final two years ago and must at least match that run or surrender second place in the world rankings to Gian van Veen. The 24-year-old Dutchman went out in the opening round two years ago and has no prize money to defend. Ryan Joyce, who reached the semi-finals and has £40,000 to defend, is currently 25th but an early exit could see him slip to 28th. Joe Cullen, who scraped into the event, enjoyed a quarter-final run worth £25,000 two years ago. Currently 30th, an early defeat could see him drop outside the top 32 for the first time in a long while. Rob Cross also has £25,000 to defend from his quarter-final run and sits 22nd, needing a strong week to avoid slipping further.
Jonny Clayton and James Wade both made the quarter-finals two years ago and must safeguard £25,000 each. The pair sit fifth and sixth in the world rankings, separated by only £10,000, making the World Grand Prix pivotal for World Darts Championship seeding. Luke Littler, meanwhile, lost 2-1 to Rob Cross in the opening round on his debut two years ago and has no prize money to defend. The reigning world champion can only gain on the rankings in Leicester and has little to worry about regarding his No. 1 spot for now.
Michael van Gerwen lost in the opening round two years ago, going down 2-0 to Daryl Gurney, and therefore has little to lose. The 37-year-old has slipped to ninth on the PDC Order of Merit, but Josh Rock and Danny Noppert, ranked seventh and eighth, are within £15,000 of him. A deep run could move Van Gerwen up several places — and if he were to win the World Grand Prix for a seventh time, he could overtake James Wade and Jonny Clayton to climb to fifth.
Several entrants were absent two years ago and can make big moves with minimal pressure. Wessel Nijman, 26, already owns four Players Championship titles and two Euro Tour titles this season. Currently 12th, he has less than £16,000 to make up on No. 10 Gary Anderson. A win would pocket £150,000 and could surge him to fourth. Kevin Doets, 27th, makes his debut and benefits from the situation ahead of him: Ryan Joyce must defend a semi-final, Mike De Decker is absent, and only Cameron Menzies has a similarly open door. Niels Zonneveld, 35th, knows a quarter-final spot would move him into the top 32. Jermaine Wattimena, 17th, has nothing to defend and targets a return to the top 16, with Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall within reach. Dirk van Duijvenbode, just outside the top 20, needs only one win to leapfrog Krzysztof Ratajski again.
The prize money breakdown for the 2026 World Grand Prix: winner £150,000; runner-up £80,000; semi-finals £50,000; quarter-finals £35,000; last 16 £20,000; last 32 £7,500. The total prize fund is £750,000 across 32 players.
Three former world champions are absent this year. Michael Smith, who entered as second seed two years ago but was knocked out 2-0 by Gary Anderson, is currently 37th and expected to drop only one or two places to around 38th. Peter Wright, also eliminated in the opening round two years ago, is currently 37th and will remain inside the top 40. Raymond van Barneveld, who also exited in the first round, is currently 40th and expected to stay there — though if Sebastian Bialecki wins the World Grand Prix, the Pole could overtake him and push him out of the top 40.
Germany will be represented by just one player: Niko Springer. 'Meenzer Bub' returns for the second year running after bowing out 2-0 to Stephen Bunting last year, but has no prize money to defend from 2024. Every win could trigger a direct jump, and he will in any case move past the absent Peter Wright and Michael Smith. With a deep run, even a top-32 spot is possible. Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko both miss out after reaching the second round two years ago. Schindler, 19th, will drop out of the top 20 to around 23rd. Pietreczko, 34th and battling dartitis, must defend from the sidelines, with Niels Zonneveld and Niko Springer as his most direct rivals.
The World Grand Prix will not only be a title fight, but also a key moment for players aiming to protect their rankings. With the unique double-in, double-out format and high stakes, it promises to be a tense event once more. One thing is certain: for players with serious prize money on the line, every win in Leicester counts.
