Nathan Aspinall has openly confessed he is "not enjoying playing darts at the moment" and "just want[s] to be at home with my family," despite a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Ricardo Pietreczko in the second round of the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich. The Englishman, who booked his place on finals day, spoke candidly to DartsNews after the match, revealing a "flat" mental state and struggles with motivation following a "disappointment in Belgium" and poor play in a midweek Players Championship event.
Aspinall explained he is "working on something behind the scenes to try and get myself fired up" and is leaning on his past emotional engagement on stage, saying, "When I used to give it a little bit of something, that used to get me pumped up and I used to enjoy that." He credited opponent Pietreczko, known for his outspoken stage presence, as a "perfect opponent" who "fired me up," adding that the German "played well, he battled — kind of like playing myself, really." Aspinall also noted respect from the German crowd, stating, "the German fans really, really appreciate me and like me," due to his exhibition work in the country.
Beyond form, Aspinall highlighted travel frustrations, citing issues like passports, lost luggage—his arrived at "two o'clock this afternoon"—and Brexit-related airport problems, though he clarified, "That's not the PDC or darts' fault." He admitted the constant travel is "hard work" and may lead him to play fewer events, saying, "If I have a couple of weeks where it's been a nightmare, I'll just pull out if I want to, because I can't be bothered." His motivation is tied to results: "If I'm playing really well, I'll sit in an airport for three hours — I'm not bothered. If I'm playing rubbish, I don't want to do it."
Looking ahead, Aspinall is making selective schedule choices, confirming, "I'm in Sindelfingen — I'm not in Graz." He called the win over Pietreczko a "great win, very happy" and "a big win," viewing it as a step toward rekindling his passion. Aspinall next faces Martin Schindler in the third round of the German Darts Grand Prix.
