Shocking Victory at the PDC Players Championship 8: Unheralded German Contender Martin Schindler Claims the Title
Massive Upset at the PDC Players Championship 8! 🎯💥
Yesterday, the 8th day of the PDC Players Championship went down in Hildesheim.
The underdog of the tournament, Martin Schindler, snatched the title with a surprising 8:1 victory over Jeffrey De Graaf.
Schindler, the wall of German darts, dominated the final from the get-go. He started off strong, securing the first leg with only 16 darts and breaking De Graaf's throw. At one point, Schindler was leading 5:0, but De Graaf managed to win his first leg. In the end, Schindler clinched the victory comfortably. 🏆
This is Schindler's first-ever title win at the Players Championship. He is only the second German player to claim a major tournament title of the PDC, with Max Hopp winning the German Darts Open in 2018.
Schindler took home a prize money of 15,000 GBP (approximately 17,846 EUR) for winning the Players Championship 8 and climbed up the PDC World Ranking [Link in English] to 22nd place. Despite his impressive performance, Schindler remained self-critical after the final, stating, "I didn't play particularly well today, but I managed to win my games, and that's the most important thing, I think." - Martin Schindler, winner of Players Championship 8, PDC*
Schindler'ses career's third major title
The victory at the Players Championship 8 marks Schindler's third major title in his career. Last year, he won the International Darts Open and the Swiss Darts Trophy. Together with his teammate Gabriel Clemens, 41, he also reached the semi-finals of the World Cup of Darts in 2023.
Translation: Martin Schindler wins the 8th Players Championship event with a surprising 8:1 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf.
Schindler is currently considered the best German darts player and is also ahead of other German players in the world rankings. After a disappointing Darts World Championship 2025 for him, Schindler seems to be in top form this season.
Niko Springer: Rising Star of German Darts?
Are we witnessing the rise of Germany's next top darts player? © Wikipedia**
A young talent has been causing quite a stir among German fans lately: Niko Springer, 24. The Meenzer Bub first caught the attention of many fans at the Darts World Championship 2025. Despite facing a strong opponent in Scott Williams, 35, Springer delivered a remarkable performance and forced Williams to sweat it out.
In recent weeks, Springer has played several days of the Players Championship and impressed with strong results. He defeated three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, 35, at the Players Championship 7 on Monday. Yesterday, he also managed to beat Michael Smith, 34, the world champion of 2023.
Moreover, he displayed a strong performance against the reigning world champion Luke Littler, 18, and lost the game narrowly 5:6. Many fans believe that Springer has the potential to become the new German number 1 in the coming years and challenge the world's best players.
Lukas Wenig's 9-darter in Hildesheim
Martin Schindler's victory in yesterday's Players Championship was not the only highlight for Germany. Lukas Wenig, 30, who earned his first Tour Card last year, threw a 9-darter in front of his home crowd**.
Wenig played in the first round of the Players Championship against Dom Taylor, 26. He achieved the 9-darter in his first attempt. However, Wenig lost the match 4-6.
He joins an unusual list. In recent years, many players have lost their matches after throwing a 9-darter. Two weeks ago, Luke Humphries, 30, and Rob Cross, 34, did the same in the 5th week of the BetMGM Premier League Darts. Both played a 9-darter that night and were subsequently eliminated.
Are German players finally making their mark on the PDC Tour?
Since early January, there are a total of twelve German Tour Card holders. Alongside established players like Schindler, Clemens, and Pietreczko, 30, promising young talents like Lukas Wenig, Niko Springer, and Max Czerwinski, 26, have qualified.
The results of recent weeks suggest that German players seem to be in ascending form. The coming months will show if they can consolidate this trend.
What about Schindler's remarkable victory at the PDC Players Championship 8 consolidating German players' presence on the PDC Tour? With Schindler's third major title in his career, he adds to BetMGM's growing list of sports headlines. As Springer, Wenig, and others continue to excel, could they be the future stars, following in Schindler's footsteps, to highlight German dominance in darts?
