Kim Huybrechts moved into the second round of the 2026 German Darts Grand Prix with a 6-3 victory over Peter Wright in Munich, but the Belgian's post-match reaction revealed a contest laden with emotional weight beyond the scoreline. Huybrechts acknowledged the match never fully settled into rhythm, with him taking his chances at key moments, yet the context of facing a struggling Wright profoundly shaped his assessment.
"Yeah, it wasn’t that good, to be honest. But I have so much respect for Peter. To see him struggle like this, it hurts a lot because I’ve been in that position myself. I haven’t had the same career as him, he’s absolutely one of the legends. But to see him struggle like this… for a darts player’s heart, that’s devastating," Huybrechts stated, tempering any satisfaction with empathy. He described the encounter as "a very hard game emotionally."
Despite the win, Huybrechts expressed frustration with his own performance, particularly given his work behind the scenes with coach Erik Clarys. "Yeah, he’s probably going to be angry with me today because I didn’t perform that well. I could see him shaking his head. So yeah, he won’t be happy," he admitted. However, he pointed to the mental side as decisive, highlighting the balance he tried to strike between competitiveness and respect. "But it was a mental game. I prepared really well, I was hungry, but hungry with respect for Peter Wright. And I know he’s struggling."
Huybrechts suggested that respect itself could become a complicating factor. "To be honest, I was thinking if I play well, I’m going to win. But I wanted to show him respect, and sometimes that respect can show weakness as well. That’s something you have to manage." Ultimately, he secured the 6-3 result, but his reaction underscored that this was far from a straightforward victory in either performance or emotion as he continues his efforts to rebuild consistency on the European Tour.
