The eighth Players Championship event of 2026 brought some incredible drama to Leicester’s Mattioli Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
After Ryan Searle was victorious in event seven on Monday, Heavy Metal suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Christian Kist, with the other finalist, Alan Soutar, suffering defeat to Niels Zonneveld.
The other big surprises were Gary Anderson losing at the first stage to youngster Charlie Manby, while Rob Cross continued to struggle during a 6-4 loss to Sietse Lap.
Here, NineDartNews rounds up all the biggest talking points from Players Championship eight, following another dramatic afternoon of action.
Wessel Nijman wins second Players Championship of 2026
Wessel Nijman is arguably the biggest success story of 2026 so far, with the Dutchman climbing up to No. 19 in the PDC Order of Merit.
Having picked up his maiden big stage title at the European Tour and triumphing at the Players Championship 2, Nijman became the first player to win multiple Players Championship events on Tuesday.
WESSEL WINS PC8! 🏆
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 31, 2026
Wessel Nijman becomes the first player to win multiple Player Championship titles in 2026, defeating Joe Cullen 8-4 in a high quality final!
📺 https://t.co/YyBPPwoMK8#PC8 pic.twitter.com/EagdiNYS6S
The 25-year-old’s surge to the final included victories over seasoned PDC star Dave Chisnall and fellow countryman Kevin Doets, before beating Joe Cullen 8-4 in the final.
Already his third triumph in 2026, Nijman is building to win his first major, and the rising PDC star will be eyeing a spot in the world’s top 16.
Mervyn King beats Michael van Gerwen
Mervyn King is one of the longest-serving players in darts, but the 60-year-old only regained his PDC Tour card this year and has now celebrated one of his biggest wins in 2026.
King secured an incredible 6-2 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the Players Championship and averaged a whopping 101.78.
THE KING MARCHES ON! 👑
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 31, 2026
Mervyn King beats Michael van Gerwen for the first time in over half a decade, producing an average of 101.78 in the process!
📺 https://t.co/YyBPPwoMK8#PC8 pic.twitter.com/68GHUnqUaD
This was the veteran’s first win against the Green Machine since September 2020, when he thrashed the Dutchman 6-1 at the German Darts Championship.
Things almost got even better for him, too, but the Ipswich-born arrowsmith lost against Dave Chisnall 6-5 in the last 16 after going 5-3 up.
Charlie Manby impresses in Leicester
Charlie Manby truly announced his name to the darting world during the 2026 World Championship.
The 20-year-old reached the last 16 of the competition on debut, and his run included wins over Cameron Menzies, Adam Sevada and Ricky Evans before falling to eventual finalist Gian van Veen.
Since then, Manby has earned his Tour card and shown glimpses of his talents on the floor, most recently with his performance in Leicester on Tuesday.
The world No. 102 reached the quarter-finals and produced impressive victories against Gary Anderson and Stephen Bunting, two of the best players on the planet.
ENCORE FOR THE ROCKSTAR! 🎸
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 31, 2026
Joe Cullen reaches his second Players Championship semi-final of the year in Leicester, holding his nerve to defeat Charlie Manby 6-4!
📺 https://t.co/YyBPPwoMK8#PC8 pic.twitter.com/OJ0yDBcQ7m
Manby was then knocked out by Cullen, who himself lost to Nijman in the final, but the young darting prodigy will have been encouraged by his performances.
