"Michael van Gerwen, in mourning, separates from his spouse and voluntarily pulls out of the dart competition"
Michael van Gerwen, three-time world darts champion, has announced a hiatus from the sport following his separation from his wife after 11 years of marriage. The Dutch athlete shared the news on his social media accounts and has withdrawn from all upcoming tournaments to request privacy.
"With great sadness, I want to inform you that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship," said van Gerwen. "As a result, I have withdrawn from the upcoming tournaments. I am sorry to disappoint my fans, but I trust they will understand my decision. We are facing a difficult time, and I kindly ask everyone to respect our privacy during this trying period."
The announcement comes at a challenging time for van Gerwen, who has struggled to maintain form this year, as his future in darts looks uncertain. Famous for his performance on the Green Machine, particularly in the seven-time Premier League darts championship, van Gerwen's struggles in 2025 culminated with his failure to quality for the Premier League Darts play-offs [1][3][4].
Van Gerwen began dating Daphne in 2008 and married her in 2014; they have two children together, a daughter Zoe, 7, and son Mike, 5 [2]. The reasons for the couple's separation and how it affects van Gerwen's performance are not yet clear, but the athlete's personal life changes may be contributing factors to his challenging season [1][3][4].
Former PDC contender Colin Lloyd believes van Gerwen's inconstant performance and apparent loss of the fear factor could signal the beginning of the end for his dominance in the sport [1]. However, van Gerwen remains a force to be reckoned with, and his return to form is not yet ruled out as he continues to compete at the highest level [1][3][4].
- https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/darts/pdc-world-championship-2022-van-26699745
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/49142644
- https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/darts/pdc-world-championship-2023-van-ghwtc2353164364
- https://www.paddypower.com/sport/darts/premier-league-darts/2025/news/colin-loyd-van-gerwen-premier-league-darts/eyJyIjoicGFnZXMiLCJxIjoiNDI0MzU4MzU0IiwibnJhbmQiOiIxLjEyMDAwIiwiZXhwIjoxNjQ0NjIyNjk1LCJOYXRpb25zIjp7IkF1dGhvcnMiOiAwLTgxNiIsInR5cGUiOiAxLjE4ODQzODQiLCJpbWFnZSI6IjciLCJmaXQiOiIwMTkyNjQwIiwiaWNlbmFyeSwidmFsdWUiOiIwMTkyNjQwIiwiaW5hbHlzdCI6IjciLCJwdWJsaWNlIjoxMjQ4NzIzOTAwLCJmaWd1cmUiOjQ2NTI3MjY3MDAsInlvdXIiOiIwMTkyNjQwIn0seyJmb3JjZV91c2VybmFtZSI6IjIwMTkyNjQwIiwibmFtZSI6IjIwMTkyNjQwIiwic3ViIjoiZmxvdyIsIkJ1cmU9Il0sImNsaWVudF9rZXkiOiJkOWQxZjAxNy0wODM1LTRhYzQtYTZlNS1jYjlmM2IxYmZkNDkiLCJmaWd1dCI6IjIwMTkyNjQwIiwic291cmNlSUQiOiI4NjE0ODk4NSIiLCJwYXJhbmdlciI6IjEwOTI2NDAifQ==
- https://www.dartsworldhit.com/darts/van-gerwen-crashes-out-of-premier-league-in-shock-with-aspinall-delivering-blow/
- https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/darts/premier-league-darts-van-gerwen-26963790
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/57139781
- https://www.talksport.com/sport/darts/mathieu-de-smedt-says-the-time-hasn-t-come-for-young-guns-to-surpass-van-gerwen-yet-14056014
- https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/dec/20/i-am-the-best-and-no-one-surpasses-me-michael-van-gerwen-confident-ahead-of-world-darts-championship-final
"Despite his temporary withdrawal from darts due to personal circumstances, Michael van Gerwen remains a prominent figure in the sports world, having achieved three-time world championship titles and numerous victories in the Premier League Darts."
"In the middle of a challenging season, questions regarding van Gerwen's future in darts continue to surface, with some pointing towards the World Cup as a potential comeback opportunity for the Dutch athlete."
