Van Gerwen eyeing back-to-back World Series titles as darts heads to Saudi Arabia

Michael van Gerwen is set to pursue consecutive titles at the World Series of Darts, starting with a match against India’s Nitin Kumar during the Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters on Monday.

 

This tournament marks the first time darts will be held in Saudi Arabia, taking place on January 19th and 20th at the Global Theater.

 

Van Gerwen comes into Riyadh with strong early-season momentum after winning the Bahrain Darts Masters, kick-starting his 2026 World Series season.

 

As a three-time world champion, he is eager to secure back-to-back titles and reassert his dominance in the region.

 

In the opening round, he faces Kumar, one of India’s most prominent darts players, as part of a group of eight Asian Tour representatives challenging top PDC players on the first night.

 

Defending world champion Luke Littler will go up against seasoned Singapore player Paul Lim once again, while world number two Luke Humphries will compete against Japan’s Ryusei Azemoto for a chance at the quarter-finals.

 

Additionally, Bahrain runner-up Gian van Veen will take on Japan’s Motomu Sakai, and former world champion Gerwyn Price begins against Alexis Toylo, the latest winner on the PDC Asian Tour.

 

Nathan Aspinall will renew his rivalry with Lourence Ilagan following their encounters in Bahrain and at Alexandra Palace, while Stephen Bunting is set to face Tomoya Goto, a two-time World Championship qualifier.

 

Danny Noppert, the third-ranked player from the Netherlands, will start his campaign against Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung, with a potential quarter-final matchup against either Aspinall or Ilagan for the victor.

 

After the first round on Monday, the tournament will quickly progress to its conclusion on Tuesday evening, featuring the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final all in one extended session as the final eight players vie for the first-ever Saudi Arabia Darts Masters title.

 

An additional prize incentive is available throughout the event: a $100,000 bonus for any player achieving a nine-dart finish, which can be increased to $200,000 through the Riyadh Season Bullseye. Players who hit a nine-darter will receive a single dart at the bullseye to potentially double the reward, making it the largest nine-dart prize ever offered in PDC history.