Wessel Nijman has climbed to world No.14 after winning the inaugural Slovak Darts Open and strengthening his place in the European Tour picture. The Dutchman beat Rob Cross 8-3 in Bratislava, landing a second European Tour title of 2026 and an eighth PDC title of the calendar year.
The scale of Nijman’s season is now becoming impossible to frame as a short burst of form. PDC Europe noted that he has won 11 PDC titles from just 13 final appearances, while his Bratislava success also banked the £35,000 top prize and pushed him further into the conversation around the European Championship race, according to PDC Europe’s Slovak Darts Open report.
Nijman’s title run changes the wider PDC picture
Nijman’s final performance was not simply efficient. He averaged 103.80, hit a 104 checkout early, added a 116 finish to take control, then closed the match with a 74 checkout on double 10.
That matters because the European Tour is now feeding directly into a bigger autumn picture. Nijman is no longer chasing relevance from the edges. He is compiling titles, ranking movement and seeding momentum at the same time.
For the rest of the field, Bratislava was another warning: Nijman’s 2026 ceiling is still moving.
With Leverkusen next on the European Tour schedule in July, the pressure is already shifting onto the chasing pack to slow him down. The result also follows Nijman’s Slovak Darts Open win over Rob Cross, covered earlier in the same news cycle.
