In the high-stakes world of professional darts, where a single 180 can ignite a roaring crowd and a missed double can shatter dreams, the pressure never lets up. As the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship wraps up its glittering spectacle at Alexandra Palace—with teenage sensation Luke Littler claiming his second consecutive title amid a £5 million prize pot—the real drama unfolds off the oche. For seven seasoned stars, the tournament’s end signals not celebration, but a desperate scramble to cling to their hard-earned PDC Tour Cards. These golden tickets grant access to the lucrative Pro Tour, European Tour events, and majors that define a darting career. Fail to crack the top 64 in the PDC Order of Merit by January’s close, and you’re out—relegated to the grueling Qualifying School (Q-School) or the Challenge Tour, fighting for scraps among hopefuls.
The PDC’s cutthroat system ensures a dynamic field, blending fresh blood with proven grit, but it spares no one. Tour Cards are awarded annually: the top 64 earners secure a one-year renewal, while another 64 hold two-year cards from prior years, creating 128 spots total. This year, the math is merciless for a cluster of fan favorites whose form has faltered. Among them is Mensur Suljović, the Serbian-Austrian maestro whose journey reads like a darting fairy tale turned cautionary tale. Dubbed “The Gentle,” Suljović burst onto the scene in 2017, clinching his maiden TV major at the Champions League of Darts with a nail-biting victory over Scotland’s Gary Anderson. “It was an epic final,” recalled a fellow pro, echoing the electric atmosphere that night. Over his career, he’s amassed seven PDC titles, a testament to his silky-smooth throwing action honed since age 13. Yet, recent seasons have been a stark contrast—provisional rankings plummet him to world No. 80, all but sealing his Tour Card’s fate unless a miracle run materializes. Fans adore his calm demeanor and pinpoint accuracy, but darts, like life, rewards the relentless. Suljović’s plight underscores a harsh truth: even majors can’t buy immunity from the rankings’ unforgiving grind.
Not far behind in this relegation roulette is Vincent van der Voort, the Dutch dynamo known as “The Complete Package.” With a career spanning over two decades, he’s etched his name into PDC lore with four titles and a peak ranking of 14. His explosive finishes and infectious energy have lit up arenas from The Hague to London, but inconsistency has struck like a wayward dart. Currently teetering on the edge, van der Voort needs a surge in the remaining Pro Tour events to claw back into safety. “He’s a legend of Dutch darts,” one observer noted, highlighting his role in elevating the sport across Europe. Imagine the irony: a player whose nickname promises perfection, now staring down demotion after years of delivering clutch moments.
The list of imperiled icons grows more poignant with Mervyn King, the English veteran affectionately called “The King.” A fixture on the oche for over 25 years, King has racked up multiple World Championship runs and a shelf of titles that whisper of better days. But 2025 has been a barren stretch—no deep Pro Tour breakthroughs, no Ally Pally magic. His absence from this year’s Worlds already stung, and projections place him outside the top 64. King’s resilience shines through in anecdotes from peers: after a tough loss, he’d quip, “Darts is a cruel mistress, but I’ll be back.” At 59, retirement whispers grow louder, yet his fighting spirit could yet defy the odds.
Adrian “Jackpot” Lewis adds a layer of what-if to the saga. The two-time PDC World Champion (2011 and 2013) stepped away in 2023 for personal reasons, returning via Q-School last year with renewed fire. But the spark has flickered—sparse results have him projected to tumble out of contention. Lewis’s comeback tale inspired many, his explosive power evoking memories of those glory days when he toppled giants like Phil Taylor. “I took a break to recharge,” he once shared, hinting at battles beyond the board. Now, with the Pro Tour slipping away, his path might veer to the MODUS Super Series, a softer landing for a player whose highs defined an era.
Rounding out the septet are Jelle Klaasen, the enigmatic Dutchman nicknamed “The Cobra”; Kim Huybrechts, Belgium’s steady sniper; and Martijn Dragt, the under-the-radar Dutch grinder. Klaasen, a former Lakeside world champ, reclaimed his card at 2024 Q-School but has battled inconsistency, his once-lethal checkouts misfiring. “It’s been a frustrating return,” a rival admitted, capturing the Dutchman’s quiet determination amid slumps. Huybrechts, a Tour Card holder since 2012, brings veteran poise with his laser-guided 180s, yet sparse earnings threaten his streak. Dragt, the least heralded, embodies the everyman’s fight—solid but unspectacular, needing a breakout to survive.
This looming purge isn’t just about numbers; it’s a seismic shift in darts’ ecosystem. The sport, buoyed by Littler’s meteoric rise and global broadcasts, demands evolution. Young guns like the 18-year-old champ are storming the gates, their precision and flair pressuring the old guard. Yet, these seven aren’t fading footnotes—they’re the architects of modern darts, from Suljović’s majors to Lewis’s world conquests. Their stories fuel the narrative: darts as a meritocracy where legends must reinvent or recede.
As the Pro Tour winds down, eyes turn to the final floor tournaments. A Players Championship victory or a deep European Tour run could rewrite fates. For fans, it’s agony and ecstasy—the thrill of underdogs rising, balanced by heartbreak for heroes humbled. Q-School in January looms as a redemption arena, where 128 spots will be contested in a frenzy of nerves and needles. Will Suljović summon 2017 magic? Can van der Voort’s package prove complete one last time? In darts, as in few sports, fortune favors the bold. These seven know it well: the board doesn’t care about CVs, only the next throw. With the oche calling, their legacies hang by a treble 20.
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