As the 2026 World Grand Prix enters its pivotal Day Five, the Quarter-Finals promise an electrifying showdown. This stage sees established giants like Gerwyn Price, Luke Humphries, and James Wade battling to end significant title droughts, while rising talents such as Gian van Veen and underdog Jermaine Zonneveld aim for career-defining breakthroughs. Nathan Aspinall and Jonny Clayton seek to overcome past final hurdles, and Ryan Joyce eyes his first major final, making this a truly unpredictable and captivating round. Each player brings a unique story of triumph, challenge, and immense potential to the oche.
The tension builds as the remaining contenders prepare to clash in the Grand Prix Quarter-Finals. This round is not just about advancing; it’s about proving consistency, overcoming past demons, and seizing the moment on one of darts’ grandest stages. Let’s delve into the form and history of each player vying for a Semi-Final spot.
The Quarter-Final Line-Up: Player by Player
Nathan Aspinall: The Asp’s Quest for Consistency
Nathan Aspinall, known as “The Asp,” is making his first major Quarter-Final appearance since reaching the Players Championship Finals at the end of 2025. This comes as a surprise, given early exits in other major tournaments this year. His journey to this stage has been marked by strong performances, but also by a consistent challenge: converting Quarter-Final wins into major titles.
- Major Quarter-Final Record: This marks his nineteenth ranking major Quarter-Final, with his first dating back to the 2019 World Championships. He boasts a strong winning record of 10 out of 18 at this stage.
- Semi-Final Success: Aspinall has reached 14 major Semi-Finals in his career, winning exactly half of them. His only Grand Prix Semi-Final win came in 2022.
- Final Hurdles: Despite his ability to reach finals, Aspinall has only won one of his last six major finals – the 2023 World Matchplay. His other five finals have been across different majors, highlighting his versatility but also a struggle to clinch consecutive titles.
Ryan Joyce: “Relentless” on the Grand Prix Stage
Ryan Joyce, often dubbed “Relentless,” has a special affinity for the Grand Prix, and he’s proving it once again. This marks his seventh major Quarter-Final in the PDC and his second at the Grand Prix in three years. After his first major Quarter-Final at the 2019 World Championship, he endured a three-year break before a flurry of five more appearances within two years.
- Quarter-Final Challenge: Joyce has historically found the Quarter-Final stage challenging, winning only two of his previous six appearances. Both of these wins, at the 2023 Players Championship Finals and this event in 2024, resulted in subsequent losses to Luke Humphries.
- Seeking a Breakthrough: This weekend, Joyce is desperate to reach the first major final of his career, aiming to break past his Quarter-Final hurdle.
Gerwyn Price: The Iceman’s Dominance and Drought
The Welsh powerhouse, Gerwyn Price, is no stranger to the big stage. Tonight marks his 41st major ranking Quarter-Final, and an impressive fourth consecutive one this year. His experience extends to 14 non-ranking major Quarter-Finals as well.
- Quarter-Final Prowess: Price has won his last six major Quarter-Finals in the PDC, with his most recent defeat at this stage being at last year’s Grand Prix, where he missed match darts against Luke Littler. Overall, he has won 34 of his 54 Quarter-Finals at this level.
- Semi-Final Strength: He has also converted his Quarter-Final successes into 22 wins from 38 Semi-Final appearances.
- The Title Drought: Despite his frequent deep runs and major final experience (reaching the final at the last two events, the Matchplay and World Series of Darts Finals), his last major title was the 2023 World Cup. For a ranking major, the wait extends further back to the 2021 Grand Slam, almost five years ago. This weekend could be pivotal for the Welsh number one to end this significant drought.
Jonny Clayton: The Ferret’s Fight for Ranking Glory
Jonny Clayton, “The Ferret,” is another Welsh contender with a strong track record. This will be his fifth Quarter-Final of the season, having only missed this stage at the World Masters and the Matchplay in 2026. His career boasts 33 major Quarter-Finals, showcasing his consistent presence at the top level.
- Quarter-Final Success Rate: Clayton has an impressive positive record, winning 21 of his 33 major Quarter-Finals, meaning he wins almost two in every three matches at this stage.
- Major Final History: Including Premier League Semi-Finals, he has reached eleven major finals, with ten of those coming between 2020 and 2025. He has clinched six major titles, including two World Cups (2020, 2023) and four singles titles in his brilliant 2021 season (Masters, Grand Prix, Premier League, World Series Finals).
- Recent Ranking Title Search: However, Clayton has not won a single ranking major since that dominant 2021 season, having lost his last two finals at the 2023 Matchplay and the 2025 World Masters.
Luke Humphries: Cool Hand’s Unmatched Form
Luke Humphries, “Cool Hand,” has been a dominant force in darts since winning his first major title at this very event in 2023. In the three years since, he has claimed an astonishing nine more major titles, including the biggest ones: the World Championship, Matchplay, Premier League, and Grand Slam. This is his fourth major Quarter-Final of the year, and he has reached the final in each of the previous three.
- Exceptional Quarter-Final Record: Humphries reached his first major Quarter-Final at the 2019 World Championships. He has reached this stage 25 times in ranking majors (30 times including non-ranking events) and boasts an incredible 66.7% winning record, losing only ten Quarter-Finals.
- Semi-Final Dominance: His Semi-Final record is even more astounding, with only four losses from 23 major Semi-Finals, an incredible win rate of over 82.6%.
- Current Ranking Title Challenge: Despite his overall dominance, Humphries hasn’t won a ranking major since the 2025 World Masters, over 18 months ago. He has lost his last four finals in that category (2025 Grand Prix, European Championships, Grand Slam, and 2026 World Masters), a streak he is determined to end this weekend.
Jermaine Zonneveld: The Underdog’s Grand Prix Debut
Jermaine Zonneveld, “Triple Z,” enters this Quarter-Final as a significant underdog, especially when compared to the decorated names surrounding him. This is only his second Quarter-Final of any kind at a major level, and he’s achieving this remarkable feat on his Grand Prix debut, having already impressively dispatched Gary Anderson and Josh Rock.
- Previous Major Quarter-Final: His only prior major Quarter-Final appearance was at the 2021 World Series of Darts Finals, nearly five years ago, where he lost to Krzysztof Ratajski.
- European Tour Experience: Zonneveld does have experience reaching big stage Quarter-Finals on the European Tour, with three consecutive appearances at the start of 2026. He has won three of these four matches, demonstrating his capability to perform under pressure in later stages.
- Seeking a First Major Final: The Dutchman has only reached one senior career final within the PDC (Players Championship 22 last year), making this Grand Prix run a massive opportunity.
Gian van Veen: The Young Gun’s Title Hunt
Gian van Veen, provisionally ranked World Number 2 by the end of the week, is a rapidly rising star. While he has only won two titles in his career so far, one of them was the European Championship in 2025, proving his ability to go all the way at this level.
- Strong Quarter-Finalist: The Dutch #1 has participated in 11 major Quarter-Finals, winning eight of them – a brilliant return rate. He hasn’t lost a major Quarter-Final in 14 months!
- Semi-Final Struggles: However, his Semi-Final record is less stellar, winning only three of his eight appearances. These wins came at his victorious European Championships last year, the World Championships at the end of last season, and the World Cup in June.
- Recent Final Frustration: Including Premier League nights, van Veen has played in ten finals in the 2026 calendar year (including the World Championships final on January 3rd) and has yet to win any of them. He will be desperate to break this streak this weekend.
James Wade: The Machine’s Enduring Legacy
James Wade, “The Machine,” is a true legend of the sport, boasting an absolutely staggering 74 major Quarter-Finals in his PDC career, with his first dating back over 20 years to the 2006 World Matchplay. He maintains an impressive 63.5% win rate at this stage, having won 47 of them.
- Vast Semi-Final Experience: Including events without Quarter-Finals like the Premier League, Champions League, and Championship League, Wade has accumulated a total of 57 major Semi-Final appearances.
- Recent Quarter-Final Challenge: Despite his vast experience, Wade has reached four Quarter-Finals in 2026 but only emerged victorious on one occasion, at the UK Open. He is keen to rectify this.
- The Final Hurdle: While he has a positive 50.9% record in major Semi-Finals, this drops to 37.9% at the final hurdle, often due to facing eras dominated by legends like Taylor, van Gerwen, and Littler. With 11 major titles to his name, Wade is currently experiencing his longest gap without a major title since his first in 2007. His last major win was the 2021 UK Open, over five years ago. For the 43-year-old, claiming the Grand Prix crown on Sunday would be an incredible achievement.
Source: Based on an article from Darts World Magazine.
