Get ready for a thrilling week of darts in Wigan! While the PDC Players Championship 9 & 10 promises intense competition, it will notably proceed without several of darts’ biggest stars, including reigning World Champion Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson. Their absence creates an unprecedented opportunity for rising talents and Challenge Tour players to seize the spotlight and make their mark on the professional circuit.
The Unseen Battle: Who’s Stepping Up as Darts’ Giants Skip Wigan?
The 2026 PDC Players Championship circuit continues next week, with Wigan once again hosting a double-header of darts’ intense ‘floor’ events. Robin Park Tennis Centre will be buzzing as nearly all 128 Tour Card holders converge for the ninth and tenth tournaments on the calendar. Many players will also be vying for qualification spots in upcoming Euro Tour events, making these two days particularly crucial.
The Wigan Double-Header: Key Details
- Event: PDC Players Championship 9 (Monday, April 13th, 2026) & Players Championship 10 (Tuesday, April 14th, 2026)
- Location: Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan, UK
- Significance: These are pivotal ‘floor’ events, offering vital ranking points and pathways to qualification for the prestigious Euro Tour.
Why Are the Stars Skipping Wigan? Unpacking the Absences
A significant number of top players, including reigning champions and household names, will not be competing. Their reasons range from strategic scheduling to recovery, but the impact is clear: new opportunities for others. Here’s a look at who’s missing and why:
- Luke Littler (Reigning World Champion): The ‘Nuke’ continues his trend of skipping Players Championship events this year. Despite Wigan’s relative proximity to his hometown of Warrington, his absence is not particularly surprising. It suggests a strategic focus on managing his demanding schedule and prioritizing major televised tournaments.
- Gary Anderson & Michael van Gerwen (Former World Champions): These two legends, boasting five world titles between them, have also chosen not to travel. Their decision is understood to be primarily due to scheduling conflicts, rather than any injury concerns.
- Gian van Veen (Current European Champion & World No. 3): The young Dutchman is taking a cautious approach as he continues his recovery from recent surgery to remove kidney stones. He is understandably prioritizing additional rest in the Netherlands over a return to competitive action.
- Ryan Searle (‘Heavy Metal’): Having recently claimed a title during his most recent Players Championship appearance in Leicester, Searle is again opting out of the Wigan events. Whether this is a strategic rest period following his success or a personal choice remains known only to him.
- Other Notable Tour Card Holders Missing:
- Pero Ljubić: Still searching for his first win of the season after a difficult start, he continues to miss events.
- Oskar Lukasiak: Has an unenviable record of eight first-round exits in eight appearances this year. His absence means this tally won’t worsen in Wigan.
- Pascal Rupprecht: Withdrew from earlier Leicester events in March and has now opted out of this upcoming double-header as well.
- Stefaan Henderyck: Absent for the first time this season, his campaign has largely consisted of opening-round exits, aside from one run to a board final.
Opportunities Knock: The Challenge Tour Players Step Up
The absence of these established players creates significant opportunities for a host of eager competitors from the Challenge Tour. For many, this is a golden chance to gain crucial experience, earn vital ranking points, and potentially make a name for themselves on the professional circuit.
Of the nine call-ups filling the vacant spots:
- Consistent Participants: Joe Hunt, Martijn Dragt, Jack Tweddell, Tommy Morris, and Steve Lennon have benefited from withdrawals at every event this season, making them continuous presences on the Players Championship circuit in 2026.
- Increasing Their Tally: Tommy Lishman, who has featured in four of the eight events so far, will now increase his appearances to six.
- Season Debuts: Aden Kirk, alongside German duo Daniel Klose and Florian Preis, are set to make their first Players Championship appearances of the season.
The Full Line-Up: Who’s Competing?
While further withdrawals are always a possibility, the following players are currently confirmed for the Wigan double-header.
Players Championship 9 & 10 Participants (Both Days Identical Line-up)
Nathan Aspinall
Keane Barry
Owen Bates
Stefan Bellmont
Filip Bereza
Sebastian Bialecki
Tom Bissell
Andy Boulton
Bradley Brooks
Stephen Bunting
Stephen Burton
Dave Chisnall
Jonny Clayton
Gabriel Clemens
Cam Crabtree
Rob Cross
Joe Cullen
Niall Culleton
Maximilian Czerwinski
Mike De Decker
Jeffrey de Graaf
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Cor Dekker
Chris Dobey
Kevin Doets
Brendan Dolan
Martijn Dragt
Tavis Dudeney
Ritchie Edhouse
Matthias Ehlers
Ricky Evans
Adam Gawlas
Andrew Gilding
Kai Gotthardt
Beau Greaves
Rhys Griffin
Dominik Gruellich
Daryl Gurney
Damon Heta
Yorick Hofkens
Justin Hood
Max Hopp
Luke Humphries
Joe Hunt
James Hurrell
Kim Huybrechts
Ryan Joyce
Tytus Kanik
Nick Kenny
Mervyn King
Aden Kirk
Christian Kist
Daniel Klose
Marvin Kraft
Maik Kuivenhoven
Darius Labanauskas
Chris Landman
Sietse Lap
Adam Leek
Steve Lennon
Adam Lipscombe
Tommy Lishman
Jim Long
Thomas Lovely
Martin Lukeman
Charlie Manby
Mickey Mansell
Shane McGuirk
Ryan Meikle
Cameron Menzies
Arno Merk
Alexander Merkx
Tommy Morris
Wessel Nijman
Danny Noppert
William O’Connor
Dennie Olde Kalter
Rob Owen
Adam Paxton
Ricardo Pietreczko
Darryl Pilgrim
Wesley Plaisier
Benjamin Pratnemer
Florian Preis
Gerwyn Price
Samuel Price
Krzysztof Ratajski
Madars Razma
Cristo Reyes
Greg Ritchie
Josh Rock
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Stephen Rosney
Callan Rydz
Martin Schindler
Connor Scutt
Karel Sedlacek
David Sharp
Michael Smith
Ross Smith
Carl Sneyd
Alan Soutar
Jeffrey Sparidaans
Niko Springer
Mensur Suljovic
Tom Sykes
Tyler Thorpe
Viktor Tingstrom
Thibault Tricole
Jack Tweddell
Raymond van Barneveld
Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jurjen van der Velde
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Jimmy van Schie
Marvin van Velzen
Mario Vandenbogaerde
Richard Veenstra
James Wade
Adam Warner
Jermaine Wattimena
Leon Weber
Lukas Wenig
Ian White
Scott Williams
Luke Woodhouse
Peter Wright
Niels Zonneveld
Tour Card Holders Absent:
- Gary Anderson
- Luke Littler
- Pero Ljubic
- Oskar Lukasiak
- Michael van Gerwen
- Ryan Searle
- Gian van Veen
- Pascal Rupprecht
- Stefaan Henderyck
Non-Tour Card Holders Competing (Call-ups):
- Joe Hunt
- Tommy Lishman
- Aden Kirk
- Martijn Dragt
- Jack Tweddell
- Tommy Morris
- Daniel Klose
- Florian Preis
- Steve Lennon
Source: Based on an article from Darts World Magazine.
