Dimitri Van den Bergh was once one of the best darts players in the world.
The Dreammaker established himself as one of the PDC’s leading lights in 2020 following his World Matchplay triumph, the first major of his darts career.
Van den Bergh was then selected for the 2021 Premier League and finished fifth, despite reaching as high as second in the table after nine matches.
At this point, the Belgian skyrocketed up to fifth in the world rankings, though he has since tumbled down the PDC Order of Merit and finds himself in big trouble.
Matthew Edgar urges Dimitri Van den Bergh to lose his tour card
In the space of five years, Van den Bergh has gone from being one of the most feared players on tour to struggling in almost every tournament.
The world No. 36 hasn’t tasted victory at a major event since the 2024 UK Open and has won just one game on the ProTour all season.
Currently on a seven-match losing streak, with his most recent coming against Danny Noppert in the UK Open, Van den Bergh’s alarming dip in form has seen former pro Matthew Edgar call for him to lose his tour card.
“I think here the best thing for Dimitri is to potentially lose his card,” he said on Edgar TV.
“I look for an inspirational story at the likes of Raymond van Barneveld who stepped away and got himself back in the top 32.
“We look at Cristo Reyes who has been away for a few years and has come back and looked better.
“We look at the likes of Ross Smith who stepped away from the game completely and has come back a much better version of himself.
“The thing that Dimitri Van den Bergh has still got in his favour is his age — he is still young.
“We have a very experienced player in a young man’s body as far as darts goes. So, I think Dimitri Van den Bergh, if he came back from a year or two, it will do him the world of good.
“Right now it just looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and he is defending something.
“When you are defending something you are not aggressive, you are not attacking.
“So real concerns for Dimitri Van den Bergh. I have watched him and commentated on his games,” Edgar finished.
Van den Bergh’s woeful stats explain slump
Van den Bergh ruled out returning to darts full-time last year after prioritising his mental health and spending more time with his family.
Perhaps partially stepping away has caused his game to break down mechanically, with the 31-year-old no longer one of the sport’s most prolific scorers.
Across the past 12 months, Van den Bergh ranks 166th on the ProTour for his average of 87.33, which is worlds away from his highest-ever TV average (114.85).
The 2023 World Championship semi-finalist is also 547th in the PDC for his finishing, with 31.83% on the checkouts. Those two metrics ultimately outline why he’s struggling, and he’s currently a long way off qualifying for the World Matchplay and World Championship’s in December.
