In the glittering chaos of Alexandra Palace, where the PDC World Darts Championship unfolds like a high-stakes symphony of tungsten and tension, few players embody the raw intensity of the sport quite like Gerwyn Price. The Welsh firebrand, known as “The Iceman” for his steely composure under pressure, has long been a force of nature on the oche—a 2021 world champion whose thunderous checkouts and unyielding glare have terrorized opponents and thrilled crowds alike. Yet, beneath the bravado and the iconic ear defenders he once donned to silence jeering fans, Price has been waging a private war this holiday season. As his 2025 Championship campaign ended in heartbreak with a 5-3 quarterfinal defeat to Chris Dobey, the 40-year-old opened up about a “frustrating” medical issue that’s plagued him “every two minutes,” turning what should be a festive assault on the title into a test of endurance few could imagine.
The revelation came in the quiet aftermath of his Ally Pally exit, as Price sat down with reporters, his voice a mix of resignation and resolve. For the past six, seven, eight years, he’s been grappling with a persistent ear condition that creates a disorienting sensation of submersion. “It feels like I have been in a swimming pool of water,” he described vividly, the words painting a picture of muffled chaos amid the sharp crack of darts hitting board. “It’s frustrating. I pop my ears and it feels fine. Two minutes later, I have to do it again. It’s hard work.” What sounds like a minor annoyance becomes a relentless distraction in a sport demanding laser focus—every throw a calculation, every leg a mental marathon. Price likened it to a “nightmare” that’s “doing my head in,” a foe more insidious than any rival’s 180, infiltrating his concentration during crucial moments. Despite consulting specialists, the cause remains elusive, leaving him in a limbo of symptoms without solutions. “I’m supposed to see an Ear, Throat and Nose specialist, but it’s too busy, isn’t it?” he admitted with a wry chuckle. “I miss so many appointments with the ENT. You end up having a tournament here and there. I end up playing darts.”
This isn’t Price’s first brush with adversity in 2025—a year that’s tested his mettle like few before. The season kicked off with promise, as he stormed to victory at the Poland Darts Masters and the Baltic Sea Darts Open, reminding everyone why he’s amassed over £1.5 million in earnings and a shelf of majors. But the highs were punctuated by lows that hinted at deeper turmoil. In August, a swollen hand landed him in hospital, forcing a withdrawal from Players Championship 24 and sidelining him just as momentum built. September brought another gut punch: a sudden illness struck him down before a quarterfinal showdown with teenage sensation Luke Littler at the Hungarian Darts Trophy, robbing fans of what promised to be a generational clash. Price’s social media post from Budapest captured the frustration—”Was really ill all day Sunday”—as he watched from the sidelines while Niko Springer claimed the spoils. These setbacks, coupled with the ear woes, have compounded a narrative of resilience amid relapse, turning Price into a walking testament to the physical toll of elite darts.
His World Championship run encapsulated the struggle. Price powered through early rounds with flashes of vintage Iceman—edging Damon Heta in a thriller and dismantling Ryan Joyce with ruthless efficiency. But against Dobey, the Hollywood dream turned sour. Price seized an early 2-0 lead, his checkouts crisp and crowd-roiling roars at full volume. Yet, as the match wore on, the ear pressure mounted, a silent saboteur sapping his edge. Dobey, the unheralded North Easterner riding a wave of form, clawed back with a majestic double-double finish in the decider, propelling himself to his first semi-final. Price snatched the seventh set in a momentary surge, but it wasn’t enough; the Welshman’s campaign fizzled, leaving him stranded at ninth on the PDC Order of Merit. Only Dobey’s deep run could now overtake him there, a small mercy in defeat. Post-match, Price was gracious, tipping his cap to his conqueror: “Chris played majestic darts tonight.” But the subtext was clear—the internal battle had tipped the scales.
Price’s candor about his condition shines a light on the unseen burdens of professional athletes, particularly in a sport that masquerades as leisurely pub fare but demands Olympian precision. Darts’ golden era, fueled by the “Littler effect” and skyrocketing TV deals, has elevated stars like Price to global icons, but it exacts a price in grueling travel, relentless schedules, and the mental grind of peak performance. At 40, with a young family back in Wales and a snooker cue gathering dust as a side passion, Price has hinted at burnout. Earlier this year, he confessed to falling “out of love” with the game, even vowing to snub a Premier League invitation if offered—a wild card spot that now hangs in the balance after his Ally Pally ousting. “I’ve only been playing darts for 11 years in total,” he once reflected, underscoring a career condensed into a pressure cooker. Yet, true to form, Price vows to fight on. He’s “used to it now,” he says of the ear issue, but plans to prioritize those missed ENT visits once the tour dust settles. Perhaps a diagnosis will bring relief, or at least strategies—custom earplugs, pressure-equalizing techniques—to reclaim his throne.
For fans, Price’s story is a rallying cry amid the Championship’s fairy tales. As Luke Humphries defends his crown against Littler in the semis, and Michael van Gerwen grinds through his own demons, The Iceman’s vulnerability humanizes the giants. His ear defenders, once a shield against crowd bile, now symbolize a broader armor against life’s curveballs. Will 2025’s trials forge a fiercer Price for the World Grand Prix in October, or signal a pivot toward retirement’s horizon? One thing’s certain: in darts’ unforgiving arena, where every pop of the ears is a bid for clarity, Gerwyn Price remains unbowed. As he plots his comeback, the oche awaits—not just a board, but a battlefield where frustration meets fortitude, and the Iceman always finds a way to chill the competition.
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