In the meticulously calibrated world of professional darts, where a single millimeter can crown a king or shatter dreams, unpredictability often strikes from the shadows. As the Swiss Darts Trophy 2025 gears up for its annual showdown in the historic St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, the event has been rocked by a cascade of high-profile withdrawals that threaten to dim its luster. Kicking off on September 27 and running through the 28th, this Euro Tour staple—boasting a £175,000 prize pot with £30,000 for the victor—promised to be a battleground for the sport’s elite. Instead, it’s become a tale of absences, as world No. 3 Michael van Gerwen, the fiery Welshman Gerwyn Price, Scotland’s evergreen Gary Anderson, and the rising Scot Cameron Menzies all opt out, leaving a void that’s reshaped the draw and sparked urgent questions about player welfare in an increasingly grueling calendar.
The news broke like a wayward dart veering off the board. Van Gerwen, the Dutch dynamo whose blistering averages and unerring checkouts have netted him three world titles (2014, 2017, 2019) and a staggering £10 million-plus in earnings, was the first to confirm his absence earlier in the week. At 35, “Mighty Mike” has been navigating a turbulent 2025 marked by personal upheaval and physical setbacks. His recent separation from wife Daphne after 11 years—a bombshell that forced him to skip the Dutch Darts Championship in May—has taken an emotional toll, compounded by nagging injuries like a shoulder strain from Premier League skirmishes and a lingering foot issue. “The task is clear and Van Gerwen must perform in Leicester to be there at the Players Championship Finals,” noted his close ally Vincent van der Voort on a recent podcast, underscoring the high-stakes math: with only seven Players Championship events left, Mike needs every point to claw back a £9,500 deficit in the Order of Merit and secure his November spot in Minehead. By sidelining the Swiss event, he’s channeling his energy into the floor tournaments in England, a tactical pivot that prioritizes volume over the jet-lag haze of Euro Tour travel. Van Gerwen’s void alone was seismic; he’s the top seed, a gravitational force whose presence elevates any field.
But the drama didn’t stop there. On Thursday, as the official draw dropped like a perfectly timed 180, it revealed a trio of further casualties: Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson, and Cameron Menzies, all scratching their names from the lineup. Price, the 2021 world champion and a two-time World Cup winner whose rugby-honed physique delivers thunderous throws, has been a whirlwind of inconsistency this year. Fresh off a shock quarter-final withdrawal from the Hungarian Darts Trophy just days earlier—handing a bye to teenage sensation Luke Littler—the Welsh Iceman broke his silence with raw candor. “Was really ill all day Sunday,” he posted on social media, detailing a bout of sickness that left him bedridden and questioning his readiness for Basel. It’s a stark echo of his recent woes: hospitalized with a hand injury three weeks prior, and enduring a season plagued by six first-round ProTour exits. Price, now 40 and ranked No. 5, reflected on his evolving technique in a recent interview, admitting, “I’ve only been playing darts for 11 years in total. My throw is still developing, and when you look at my throw from three years ago, it’s a lot different now. I’m sure if you look at it in three years’ time, it will be different again.” Comparing himself to veterans like van Gerwen and Peter Wright, who’ve refined their crafts over decades, Price’s hiatus feels like a necessary recalibration amid burnout whispers. Despite a strong start with Nordic and Australian Darts Masters triumphs in 2024, his 2025 form has dipped, and skipping Basel allows him to regroup for the autumn majors like the World Grand Prix on October 6.
Gary Anderson, the 64-year-old Flying Scotsman and a two-time world champ (2015, 2016) whose left-arm wizardry has pocketed over £4 million, joins the exodus with characteristically stoic silence. At No. 8 in the rankings, Anderson’s withdrawals have become a seasonal rite—fatigue from the relentless tour, coupled with a surgically repaired back that’s seen him miss chunks of the Players Championship circuit. His last outing, a gritty third-round run at the Hungarian event where he fell to Jonny Clayton in a decider, hinted at lingering rust. Fans adore his no-nonsense grit, but at this stage of his career, the Edinburgh native is picking battles wisely, conserving energy for the double-in, double-out marathon of the Grand Prix. “Darts is living in a Littler-inspired bubble at the moment, and it will eventually burst,” mused one pundit on forums, capturing the sentiment that veterans like Anderson are safeguarding their legacies against the prodigy onslaught.
Rounding out the quartet is Cameron Menzies, the 30-year-old Scottish qualifier whose breakthrough 2024—marked by a UK Open semi-final and a Players Championship 26 win—propelled him into the top 50 for the first time. No specific reason surfaced for his pullout, but insiders point to a packed schedule and a desire to peak for the lucrative floor events. Menzies, known for his rapid-fire style and infectious energy, had been a dark horse pick for Basel, facing a potential opener against Martin Schindler. His absence stings for the undercard, robbing the event of its rising-star spark.
The fallout? A frantic reshuffle. PDC officials dipped into the reserve list, slotting in Dutch powerhouse Richard Veenstra, England’s Connor Scutt, Austrian stalwart Mensur Suljović, and the host-nation hopeful Chris Landman to fill the gaps. The revised draw now spotlights world No. 1 Luke Humphries, who opens against qualifier Thibault Tricole, and No. 2 seed Stephen Bunting—elevated in Littler’s continued absence—against Landman or local qualifier Denis Schnetzer. Other mouthwatering ties include Josh Rock vs. Gian van Zinn, Jonny Clayton vs. Damon Heta, and Ross Smith vs. Peter Wright. “From the original entries, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price and Cameron Menzies have withdrawn and have been replaced from the Reserve List by Richard Veenstra, Connor Scutt, Mensur Suljović and Chris Landman,” read the official PDC bulletin, a dry line masking the event’s altered DNA.
This mass defection underscores a broader reckoning in darts. The 2025 calendar, bloated with 50+ events across ProTour, Euro Tour, and majors, has players crying foul on burnout. Humphries himself has spoken of the “mental marathon,” while Littler’s strategic skips—opting out of Swiss after a Hungarian quarter-final loss to Danny Noppert—set a precedent for load management. For the Swiss Trophy, now stripped of four top-50 guns, it’s a chance for journeymen to shine: Veenstra, a consistent quarter-finalist, could upset the apple cart, and Suljović’s veteran guile might propel him deep. Yet, the absences amplify the field’s youth tilt—Rock, Clayton, and Humphries leading a new wave—while veterans like Price and Anderson recalibrate.
As Basel’s autumn chill sets in, the St. Jakobshalle will still thrum with 180s and roars, but the ghosts of the withdrawn loom large. This isn’t defeat; it’s darts’ Darwinian dance—survival of the fittest, or at least the freshest. For fans tuning in via PDCTV, the drama’s just relocated from the oche to the sidelines. When these titans return—Price nursing his health, Anderson sharpening his edge, Menzies building momentum, and van Gerwen channeling personal fire—the autumn swing could explode. Until then, Basel belongs to the bold replacements. In a sport where precision reigns, sometimes the sharpest move is stepping back.
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