Niels Zonneveld does not yet have the fame of fellow provincial Michael van Gerwen, for example, but the 27-year-old darts player from Helvoirt is taking steps towards the world top. Next month he will participate in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship for the fifth time and he hopes to achieve his best performance to date. “I am going to London with confidence, because I have had the most successful year of my career.”
Four previous participations in the World Cup were all nothing to write home about. Only in 2023 did he win the first round, in the other editions he was able to go home after just one match. “There hasn’t been a top year for me yet. If you don’t throw well and your opponent does, then it is decisive at our level,” says the darts player nicknamed Triple Z. In the English press he was called Zig Zag Zonneveld because of his way of throwing.
In December (the final date is not yet known), Zonneveld will face Haupai Puha in the first round. The New Zealand darts player is number 97 in the world, Zonneveld is 44th. “The draw is always exciting, you hope not to have to throw against the top of the world immediately. I think it went well this time, although it will certainly not be easy. The intention is for me to go further than in previous years.”
Attention is focused on his own match, but he also tries to enjoy it in the London event hall Alexandra Palace. “On the days that I don’t play, it’s nice to experience something of the atmosphere. As a little boy I watched it on television, now I can be there myself.”
A hundred days a year away for tournaments
Zonneveld has seen growth in his performance in recent years. This mainly has to do with his choice to focus on the sport full-time. “I combined it with a job at an accounting firm for four years. At a certain point, that was no longer possible. I am away about a hundred days a year for tournaments alone. The full focus on the sport has made me a better darts player.”
Top sport requires sacrifices, because Zonneveld is often away from home. But the investments are all worth it to him. “I absolutely cannot complain, I have turned my hobby into my job. Of course it is sometimes tough. Because when things don’t go well, you are often alone. Financially, there are good developments in darts. The prize money is increasing everywhere, at the World Cup it has even doubled.”
Step by step towards the top
He sees 2026 as an important year in his career. “I have always had to play qualifications for the fifteen tournaments of the European Tour. Due to my performance in 2025, it looks like I will qualify directly. Ultimately, the absolute top is what I dream of. But I prefer to take it step by step. It is not going very quickly, but it is getting better each time.”
Van Gerwen
The World Cup in London lasts from December 11 to January 4. 128 darts players are participating, including fifteen Dutch. Michael van Gerwen will face the Japanese Mitsuhiko Tatsunami in the first round.