Michael van Gerwen has endured a difficult start to 2025 (Image: Getty)
behaviour has been called into question as the Dutchman’s poor form at the oche continues. The Green Machine finished as runner-up at this year’s , but his performances in 2025 so far have left plenty to be desired.
Van Gerwen was dumped out in his opening match at last weekend’s European Tour event, having won just one match at the UK Open the week prior. What’s more, the three-time world champion is still without a nightly victory in this year’s , with questions about his form having surfaced.
According to Vincent van der Voort, a close friend and compatriot of Van Gerwen’s, the 35-year-old has “lost his aggression”. Speaking on the Darts Draait Door, Van der Voort said: “He’s not stepping onto that stage with a do-or-die mentality anymore. There’s no aggression, no fire to show that he’s still the dominant force he once was. It all looks a bit routine, a bit obligatory.
“It’s about how you approach the game, the energy you bring. But Michael doesn’t seem to feel that himself. That’s understandable—how you appear on TV and how you feel internally can be two very different things. That’s why I tell him: watch yourself back on TV. He used to be a bouncing ball of energy on stage.”
Michael van Gerwen is yet to win a night in this year’s Premier League (Image: Getty)
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Van der Voort went on to suggest Van Gerwen’s demeanour has changed since he reached the final of the worlds, hinting he’s lost a bit of his edge. He continued: “If there’s one thing he’s never been, it’s submissive. That really surprised me. There’s no aggression in his game anymore, and he needs that. He used to want to devour his opponents—I just don’t see that in him right now.”
He did conclude by suggesting Van Gerwen’s drop in form could be down to issues that don’t necessarily present themselves first-hand, adding: “You have to consider his family, the relentless schedule—it’s easy for us to sit back in a studio and comment, but he’s the one who has to go out there and do it. Talking about it is the easy part.”
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Van Gerwen will resume his Premier League campaign this week when he takes on in the quarter-final of night seven in Nottingham. He currently sits third in the PDC Order of Merit but hasn’t won a major ranking title since the back end of 2022.