Ricky Evans has admitted he is enduring sleepless nights and fighting back tears as he faces the very real prospect of missing the PDC World Darts Championship for the first time in more than a decade. The 36-year-old Englishman, one of Alexandra Palace's most beloved annual attractions, opened up to Online Darts about a crisis of confidence that has turned a sport he loves into a chore.
Asked whether this could be one of the biggest weeks of his career, Evans did not hesitate. "For my own sake, yes. Rankings-wise, probably not. I think I'm guaranteed a Tour Card, but yeah. Personally, I've been thinking about Ally Pally since around April. I'd say it's huge," he said. The pressure has been relentless, with his Pro Tour results disappointing and only a few opportunities remaining to qualify. "Not being able to sleep, mate. It means so much to me. I got teary on a few of them," Evans revealed. "Yeah, I need to start enjoying it because I'm going to darts thinking it's a chore instead of a hobby and a job. I'm nervous just talking about it. Instead of letting the darts do the talking, I'm overthinking everything and not enjoying the game at the minute. It's 6-5s. Too many 6-5s is the problem. Instead of playing good darts, I'm hoping instead of knowing. That's the thing. It's just been frustrating."
Evans refused to hide behind excuses, acknowledging he has had "a few shockers this year" but insisting past physical problems with his feet, hands and head never stopped him winning. "I was playing well with these excuses the other year. Problems with my feet, hands, whatever, head. I could still win with these problems. Now it's not happening. I have to blame them. I have to go, 'I'm not playing very well. I'm not enjoying darts. People are getting better.'" He added: "I've said this to my girlfriend, my family, my manager. I'm not getting better. That's the thing. I need to get that extra step. I don't know if it's equipment, or if I should practise less because I'm practising a lot. I don't really know. I need to find that little kick at the bottom."
While the Players Championship Finals in Minehead and the Grand Slam of Darts are also at stake, Evans is fixated on one event. "I'm not worried about Minehead, I'll be honest. It's a great tournament. I love Minehead. I love the UK Open. Players Championships have never been very good for me. I think I've won four legs in the last three years. Ally Pally is obviously the pinnacle. It's the one where you want to be. It's the one everyone knows about, really, for the Christmas walk-ons, the whole 'I hate gravy' debate." The thought of missing out visibly moved him. "Talking about it again, I'm so welled up about it. I have to be there. I know someone's going to have a Christmas song. I know someone's going to use it as a promo. The Shakin' Stevens. That's me. I'm jealous."
He is already plotting an alternative route through the qualifier and a strong Grand Slam run. "I actually said to someone the other day, one of my friends. I'm playing him in a minute, by the way. I'm probably going to miss out on Ally Pally this week, get through the qualifier. I don't know, but I'm getting through the Grand Slam. I'm going to get through the Grand Slam and somehow work my way through the back door. I overthink everything again. I'm not enjoying it." Instead of focusing on his game, he admitted: "Instead of going to these tournaments in Leicester, Hildesheim, Den Bosch, I'm looking at the rankings every day. Play darts, because that's what I'm good at. At the minute, I feel like everything's against me."
Remarkably, Evans retains belief in his stage game. "You get me on stage, I'll batter him. Well, I'm not saying everyone. I'm not going to beat everyone on stage. I'm a different animal on stage, we'll say that. But I worry too much about getting to the stage instead of working on my floor game." He added: "I just need to get through that first-round hurdle. It's a problem for me. Getting a game on the floor against me must be a dream for some people." Watching players he considers peers – Niels Zonneveld, Karel Sedlacek and Luke Woodhouse – win titles has stung. "These people are good dart players. I class myself as one of them kind of people. Nearly men. They've done it, though. Now I'm the one that's jealous of them." He also believes the Pro Tour standard is higher than ever. "Back in the day when I first started, 2013, 2014, there were people in the room. You thought, 'He's horrible. I want him.' Now I'm that guy. At the minute, people want to draw me because they know he's struggling. I don't like that. I want to be the person that's... 'I battered him 6-1 there. Who's next?'"
The toll has spread beyond the oche. "It's horrible. Literally, I take it to heart. My family and friends, girlfriend, they're all going through the wringer at the minute because I'm not a happy person." He even revealed he initially had no desire to attend the interview in Northampton. "I didn't want to be here today. Didn't want to be here. And it's on your doorstep as well. Because it's close. I'm only here because my friends are here. I brought my dad today. Just someone to talk to, just to have a little bit of fun. I am having fun tonight, actually. That's good." Personal grief has added to the burden. "I cried yesterday at the exhibition. I lost a good friend. I'll play my best mate tonight. It's just one of them. Darts means everything to me. I don't want to be working in that Shell garage anymore."
Evans suspects changes he made this season have backfired. "I need to go back to being fast. I think the speed of my darts. I've changed a few things this year. I've done things differently, which I think affected me. This year I've changed a few things. It's not worked. Maybe I need to go back to doing what I did when I was getting to semi-finals, finals, deep runs." Mentally, he added: "I'm not a very confident person anyway. I don't believe in myself as a person, if that makes sense. Darts is the only thing I'm good at. I need to shut everything off. Stop listening to people telling me what to do. Not being horrible to them. Be me. If it worked, it worked." Above all, he wants to rediscover his old self. "I just love being on stage. I need to get that floor game back again and enjoy it again. I need to walk into these Pro Tours, these leisure centres, and just smile. Walk like a peacock again."
Despite the doubts, Evans has not given up. "I still believe I'm going to do something. I still believe I might have a little surge. I always have a run somewhere. I've had one semi-final on the Euro Tour, I think I did. I need a floor run." The PDC's announced changes for 2027 have given him renewed motivation. "I'm hoping that. I'm guaranteeing a couple more majors now. The Europeans helps as well. If it had been next year's criteria, I would have been in. I didn't qualify for that many, but I did well when I qualified. It's brilliant." But the World Championship uncertainty looms large. "I think 2014 was the last time I didn't qualify. Over a decade. It's going to hurt. The next time I do get there, we're going to have some fun. I've had people talk to me today, asking, 'Where's your Christmas outfit?' I've had a couple of lads saying, 'You're doing all right at the minute,' who obviously know nothing about darts. It means everything to me. I'm a very passionate guy." And he vowed: "I will fall in love with the game again. You're going to have to drag me off this tour, because I'm not going to lose my card this year. I might do next year if I don't have a good year. It won't be for the lack of trying. I know that. I always keep saying as well, if you're not in it, you're not good enough this year. Work harder. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, I'll be back next year and I'll be working harder, mate."
