Wessel Nijman continued his impressive form with a 6-2 victory over Ian White in the opening round of the European Darts Grand Prix, though he admitted afterwards it was far from straightforward. "I said it on stage, it's good to win the first match. It's probably the most important match of the whole tournament," Nijman told DartsNews. "Ian White is always a tough throw because you don't know what you're going to get. As I said, I'm just happy with the win." The Dutchman's recent successes include a European Tour win and two Players Championship victories this year, but he had suffered two early exits following his latest title before this result.
Nijman offered a grounded assessment of his rapid rise, noting that some of his titles came without top players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries in the field. "I do realise, but you also have to say that some of those titles came without players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries being there," he said. "That's maybe something to note. I'm really happy that I've won those events, and there are still good players there. I'm just happy with the way I'm playing right now and that I'm still developing." He acknowledged that beating the elite adds extra significance: "If you play them and you beat them, then yes. I don't think it's a weird thing to say that if you win a tournament without them there, I wouldn't say it's easier, but it's maybe less hard."
Despite increased scrutiny, Nijman remains unfazed, stating, "No, not really. It only bothers me when people talk about me who I really care about, not the people I don't care about." His recent European Tour success in Göttingen provided a boost, though he noted, "There's a boost from that, but it's not like a real TV title, is it? I'm really happy with it, but I want to show people I can play like that in the real TV events, and I think I can." With a clear goal for 2026 to reach the top 16, Nijman now faces Ryan Searle in the second round of the European Darts Grand Prix, maintaining his focus on winning: "Yeah, I think winning is never boring. Whether it's tournament wins or match wins, it's never boring."
