In the glittering, high-stakes world of professional darts, where a single arrow can rewrite legacies and a missed double can shatter dreams, few names evoke the thunder of dominance quite like Michael van Gerwen. The Dutch dynamo, affectionately known as Mighty Mike, has long been the colossus of the oche—a three-time world champion whose explosive style and unyielding intensity have terrorized opponents for over a decade. At 35, he’s still the third-ranked player on the planet, a man whose 180s echo like cannon fire and whose walk-on entrance sends shivers through arenas. Yet, beneath the spotlight’s glare, a quieter, more insidious adversary has been chipping away at his armor: a persistent health issue that’s left the darts icon grappling with vulnerability in a sport that demands perfection.
It all traces back to a seemingly innocuous holiday in Thailand at the dawn of 2025, a brief escape from the ceaseless whirlwind of tournaments that defines elite darts life. What should have been a rejuvenating break turned into the origin of an unwelcome shadow. Van Gerwen returned home not with tales of sun-soaked beaches, but with a nagging virus or infection that latched on like a stubborn barnacle. Months later, it’s still there—unyielding, sapping his energy, and clouding the razor-sharp focus that’s made him a legend. His close friend and fellow Dutch darts stalwart, Vincent van der Voort, pulled back the curtain on this hidden struggle during a candid chat on the Darts Draait Door podcast, painting a picture of a warrior fighting on multiple fronts.
“He’s been struggling with a virus or infection for quite some time now,” van der Voort revealed, his voice carrying the weight of genuine concern for a man who’s more like a brother than a rival. “He picked it up during his holiday in Thailand back in early January, and he just hasn’t been able to shake it off.” The words hung heavy, a stark admission in a sport where players are expected to compartmentalize pain and power through. Van Gerwen’s routine has become a grim cycle of competition and consultation—rushing from one European showdown to the next, only to huddle with doctors in search of relief. Just this morning, ahead of a crucial Premier League night, he was back under medical scrutiny, probing for answers that remain frustratingly elusive. “On top of that, he’s not in his best form. He was already at the doctors this morning,” van der Voort added, underscoring the toll this invisible foe is exacting.
The symptoms aren’t dramatic—no feverish collapses or public displays of frailty—but they’re insidious enough to erode the edges of his game. Fatigue creeps in during those marathon practice sessions, where precision is forged in isolation. Concentration wavers just enough to turn a routine 100 checkout into a tense scramble. And then there’s the travel—the bane of every globetrotting athlete, but a particular curse for darts pros who crisscross continents like nomads chasing prize money. Planes, with their recycled air and confined quarters, have become petri dishes for van Gerwen’s woes. “The doctor told him it’s really unwise to spend so much time on planes, as that’s where bacteria spread easily,” van der Voort explained, his tone laced with empathy and exasperation. “But what choice does he have?”
That rhetorical question cuts to the heart of van Gerwen’s dilemma, encapsulating the brutal reality of life at the pinnacle. Darts isn’t a nine-to-five; it’s a relentless calendar of 16-week Premier League marathons, Players Championship circuits, and majors that stack like dominoes. Skip one, and you risk tumbling down the rankings, forfeiting not just points but the financial security that underpins a career built on high-risk throws. Van der Voort dismissed the idea of a break with pragmatic resignation when podcast host Damian Vlottes floated it as a potential salve. “When is he supposed to do that? He’s not in a position to just skip tournaments,” he shot back. It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply in the darts fraternity, where the sport’s democratization—thanks to TV deals and global tours—has amplified the pressure. For van Gerwen, who’s poured his life into this craft since his teens, stepping away feels like betrayal, not respite.
The on-oche evidence of this struggle is impossible to ignore. Since storming to the World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace in January—where a heartbreaking 7-3 defeat to teenage sensation Luke Littler reignited hopes of a resurgence—van Gerwen’s form has flickered like a faulty bulb. He’s yet to claim a Premier League night victory in the 2025 edition, a far cry from his halcyon days of sweeping weekly honors. Early exits have piled up: a shock first-round drubbing in the Players Championship, where he jetted home prematurely to the Netherlands for yet another doctor’s visit. His world ranking, once an unassailable fortress at No. 1, now sits at third, with Humphries and Littler nipping at his heels. Inconsistent checkouts, uncharacteristic misses at doubles—these are the cracks in the facade, whispers of a man not quite at full throttle.
Yet, amid the setbacks, glimmers of the old fire persist. Van Gerwen’s recent withdrawal from Players Championship 16 wasn’t a white flag but a tactical retreat, a bid to regroup after a bizarre neck twinge from something as mundane as trying on shirts. It’s a reminder of his other long-standing battles, like the jaw issues from an underbite that’s plagued him for years, causing chronic pain that he’s managed with stoic grit. “I still have the fire in my belly. The anger is still there when you don’t perform 100 per cent,” he declared recently, his words a defiant roar against the doubters. That passion, that unquenchable drive, is what separates the greats from the good. It’s what propelled him to 38 major titles, including those electric Premier League triumphs that turned him into a household name.
As the Premier League caravan rolls into Cardiff for night seven, van Gerwen steps up against world No. 1 Luke Humphries—a quarter-final clash that could reignite his season or deepen the shadows. The Utilita Arena will buzz with anticipation, fans chanting his name in hopes of witnessing vintage MVG: the predatory stare, the explosive celebrations, the sheer audacity of a 170 finish. But off-stage, the real contest rages on—against an infection that won’t yield, a schedule that won’t bend, and the inexorable march of time. Van der Voort’s revelation isn’t just gossip; it’s a humanizing lens on a sport often reduced to stats and scores. It reminds us that behind every arrow is a person, vulnerable to the whims of biology and the tyranny of ambition.
For now, Mighty Mike soldiers on, his quiver full of resolve. Will this health hurdle prove a temporary dip, or the harbinger of a redefined chapter? Only the oche knows. But in a world of fleeting glory, van Gerwen’s refusal to yield—plagued yet unbowed—serves as a testament to resilience. After all, in darts, as in life, the true measure isn’t invincibility, but the courage to throw when the board blurs.
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