Nathan Aspinall has thrust himself back into the spotlight by winning the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich, claiming his first title at the event and his fourth European Tour crown. The £35,000 top prize propelled the Stockport thrower to 14th on the PDC Order of Merit, overtaking Ross Smith. It marks his first ranking title since last October and pushes his career prize money above the £500,000 mark, giving him a buffer of over £70,000 towards the top 16.
Aspinall's victory came after a solid start to the season that included a runners-up spot at Players Championship 1 and a last-16 berth at the Poland Darts Open. Meanwhile, the chase pack behind him has tightened considerably. Despite a last-16 finish in Munich, Josh Rock slipped to ninth, while Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price moved up to seventh and eighth respectively. The gap between seventh and 11th is just £12,500, with Rock and Bunting separated by only £1,500.
Danny Noppert's run to the final in Munich did not yield a ranking rise, as the Dutchman stays 11th, although victory would have launched him to seventh. He extended his lead over Ryan Searle to nearly £30,000 and is now just £1,000 behind Gary Anderson. Elsewhere, Niels Zonneveld reached a third successive European Tour quarterfinal and climbs to 38th, mounting a push for the top 32, while Kevin Doets is also posting excellent results on the Pro Tour.
Kim Huybrechts underlined his strong 2026 form by reaching the last 16 for the second European Tour event running, climbing to 57th. In Munich, he defeated Peter Wright and Luke Woodhouse before Jonny Clayton stopped him, posting two averages over 100. The coming weeks feature four more Players Championship events and the European Darts Grand Prix, offering plenty of chances for further movement in the rankings.
