James Wade has reclaimed sixth on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder after winning his first European Tour in over ten years at the 2026 Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy on Sunday. Wade claimed a third career European Tour title at the Antwerp Expo after defeating Ross Smith 8-4 in the showpiece, claiming the £35,000 top prize […]
James Wade has reclaimed sixth on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder after winning his first European Tour in over ten years at the 2026 Blåkläder Flanders Darts Trophy on Sunday.
Wade claimed a third career European Tour title at the Antwerp Expo after defeating Ross Smith 8-4 in the showpiece, claiming the £35,000 top prize to propel him above Michael van Gerwen and back into world number six.
The ten-time TV title winner has risen five spots from 11th at the start of 2026 after a fantastic year, including reaching the UK Open final and World Matchplay quarter-final.
The left-hander has pocketed the fifth-most prize money in 2026, also winning the first Players Championship event of the year, and is now just over £10,000 behind world number five Jonny Clayton.
The 43-year-old darting veteran hasn’t been as high as world number five since 2022, while his victory on Sunday all but sealed his spot at October’s European Championship.
Van Gerwen dropped back to world number seven as a result, with the Dutch icon set to fall a further two spots by the start of the World Grand Prix at the end of the month.
The three-time World Champion claimed Players Championship 21 in 2024 as well as the Hungarian Darts Trophy two years ago, with the £40,000 accrued from those two victories set to come off his two-year prize money before Leicester’s double-start event.
Van Gerwen fell at the first hurdle last weekend to eventual semi-finalist Damon Heta, and the 37-year-old has struggled to maintain form this year.
A 38-time winner on the European Tour, Van Gerwen did reach the semi-final in Prague at the start of the month, but has failed to reach a ranking Premier quarter-final in 2026 so far.
Gary Anderson also dropped in the world rankings, falling from ninth to 11th after not competing in Antwerp.
Although the Scottish number one reached the final of the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the end of August, Anderson has played the third least amount of events from the world’s top 64 in the last two years.
Stephen Bunting and Danny Noppert rose to ninth and tenth at Anderson’s expense, having reached the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
William O’Connor and Niels Zonneveld rose one spot to 33rd and 35th respectively, with the pair both picking up wins in Antwerp.
The Irish number one has scooped at least £2,000 in eight of his last 11 ProTour events, and his 12-month form has earned him a World Grand Prix return for the first time since 2015.
Zonneveld, meanwhile, will also star and make his debut in Leicester, with the Dutchman making three ProTour quarter-finals and two semi-finals this year.
Beau Greaves continues her incredible ascent in the sport after picking up her Tour Card in January, rising to 74th in the world after her third consecutive European Tour appearance.
Despite losing to Heta in her round one tie, the £2,000 she pocketed as a result of qualifying through the Tour Card Holder qualifier was enough to leapfrog Tom Bissell and Darryl Pilgrim.
The Women’s World Matchplay champion is the second best performing new Tour Card Holder, only behind Spanish number one Cristo Reyes.