Raymond van Barneveld uncertain over playing future following early exit at the World Darts Championship

Raymond van Barneveld admits he is uncertain over his playing future after crashing out of the World Darts Championship in the opening round.

Van Barneveld was beaten in straight sets by Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday, marking only his third opening round exit at the PDC World Championship since 2007.

The 58-year-old mustered just two legs in the contest – the fewest he has ever registered in a World Championship encounter.

The result ends a torrid season on the big stage for RVB – who failed to win a match in any of his five major televised ranking tournament appearances.

Speaking to Viaplay following the defeat, Van Barneveld cast doubt over his playing future, admitting: “I thought I had a nice draw. That’s what everybody was telling me before the game. Everybody was wrong.

“He played a great match. He deserved to win this match.

“Whenever I was practicing at my office I played really well. It’s so frustrating that in practice I hit a 140 and a 180 every time.

“The only problem is with practicing you play your own rhythm. That’s different from a match. I noticed he was really slow. I knew that but that made me go out of my own rhythm and missed the doubles.

“I’m out. It has been a very poor year for me. I need to regroup myself.

“It’s very difficult to answer what’s next. On the practice board I’m a five-time World Champion, maybe even ten-time.

“But during the matches it just is not going my way. And why not? I don’t know. I can’t answer that, really.

“Of course, this hurts. It’s the second time in a row this happens to me. I wonder by myself how to go on.

“I wonder what to do because suffering every week from all the defeats is not what I want. That’s obvious.

“He doesn’t even have a Tour Card and to only win two legs, that says it all. I have got homework to do and have to find out what to do next. But, this one hurts.”

Van Barneveld initially retired following a first round defeat to Darin Young at the 2019/20 World Championship but subsequently reversed his decision after a year out.

Since regaining a Tour Card, the Dutch darting icon notably reached the semi-finals of the 2022 Grand Slam but has suffered a catalogue of first round exits in major competition.

He reached just one quarter-final on both the European Tour and ProTour in 2025 and ends the season world ranked 35.

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