Danny Noppert has spoken out about the frustrations that plagued his second-round exit at the World Grand Prix 2026, where he lost 3-0 to a clinical Ryan Joyce. The Dutchman, known as 'The Freeze', appeared irritated from the start of the match, convinced something on the stage wasn't right. Before the match began, Noppert was already in conversation with caller Kirk Bevins, though the exact issue was unclear at that point. After dropping the first set, he spoke up again, and during the second set, he gestured repeatedly towards his camp, indicating the stage was creaking whenever Joyce walked back after his visits.
In a post on his official Instagram account, Noppert provided clarity on his in-match frustrations. "This is, unfortunately, one of the hardest parts of having ADHD," he began. "I kept hearing Ryan walking back and forth, and there was this strange cracking sound coming from underneath the stage. My mind just couldn't block it out, and I simply couldn't focus the way I needed to. After my match, the PDC confirmed that something underneath the stage had actually come loose. So I wasn't imagining it — there really was something going on."
Despite the validation, disappointment dominated Noppert's reflections. "But right now, none of that takes away how disappointed I am in myself. I know what I'm capable of, and I know I should have been able to perform better. That hurts," he said. "Still, I have to take this for what it is: another lesson, another experience, and another reason to come back stronger. It's just heartbreaking that it had to happen this way."
Noppert's tournament ends in the second round. Ryan Joyce, who also beat Michael van Gerwen in his opener, will return on Friday evening for the quarter-finals. There he will face the winner of Luke Woodhouse versus Nathan Aspinall.
