Wessel Nijman has skyrocketed up to No. 19 in the world rankings, and the next step in his career is winning a major title.
Nijman has seen immense improvements to his game since the turn of the year, and that has been backed up by his success in tournaments.
At the start of March, Nijman picked up his maiden big stage title at the European Tour in Göttingen and has also won two Players Championships in 2026, the most recent coming on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old impressively smashed past his competition in Leicester before securing an 8-4 triumph against Joe Cullen in the final.
Wessel Nijman reacts to Players Championship 8 triumph
“I’m living the dream life,” admitted Nijman, who underlined his status as the top seed in Leicester.
“This week was the first time I was the No 1 seed, so that was pretty special for me to be honest.
“With the way I’m playing, especially in the floor events, I’m feeling pretty confident and this helps a lot.
“I’m so just happy I played the way I did today.”
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
Nijman is performing at the top of his game by regularly producing a ton-plus average, and the Dutchman demonstrated those levels on Tuesday.
Signalling his intent with an average of 103.57 in a first-round demolition of Dominik Gruellich, the world No. 19 secured five more victories en route to the final, and that included a 105.11 average against Dave Chisnall in the quarter-finals.
Nijman’s impressive 2026 stats can lead to major win
A big stage title on the European Tour has given Nijman the belief that he can challenge for major trophies in the sport.
Matt Edgar thinks Nijman must target winning a major in 2026, and doing so would surely propel him into the world’s top 16.
The next chance he will have to do so is at the World Matchplay in July, and his current performances suggest he could go deep into the tournament.
Currently, only five players on tour have a higher average than Nijman’s 97.73 in 2026, and more importantly, his doubling rate is at 43.9%.
That checkout percentage is only bettered by four players and proves he isn’t just a heavy scorer, he’s capable of converting his doubles in the crucial moments.
That being said, it’s alright handling the pressure on the floor, but Nijman is yet to produce his best standard in a TV major, and that has to be his aim.
