Darts Star Mike De Decker Opens Up on Psychological Toll of Championship Defeat
Professional darts player Mike De Decker has candidly discussed the profound emotional impact of his recent loss at the PDC World Darts Championship, revealing he completely withdrew from the sport in the aftermath.
A Painful Exit from Alexandra Palace
Last month, De Decker suffered a heartbreaking defeat to David Munyua in the prestigious tournament held at London's Alexandra Palace. In an exclusive interview with Darts News, the Belgian player confessed that the loss was emblematic of a turbulent year. "That game kind of summed up my year," he stated. "I had good patches and really bad patches, and that was one of the patches that wasn't so good."
De Decker had initially taken control of the match, securing a two-set lead before experiencing a sudden and debilitating wave of anxiety. "It was strange, really - I was 2-0 up and suddenly I felt nervous," he explained. "And once he got that first set, something in me just went, yeah... you're going to lose this. That's not a good thing to have when you're 2-0 or 2-1 up."
Self-Imposed Exile from the Sport
The aftermath proved intensely difficult for the darts professional. He admitted to avoiding the remainder of the World Championship entirely, finding the spectacle too painful to watch. "None," he acknowledged regarding his viewing habits. "It hurt too much to watch the Worlds."
In a bid to protect his mental state, De Decker took drastic measures on social media. "You can restrict certain pages on Instagram as well, so I restricted the PDC and all darts-related content pages. Yeah, I just couldn't look at it," he revealed. He also touched on the personal frustration of his annual Christmas period struggles, noting, "I've been trying to survive Christmas for the last five years and then it's just not working on that stage and it's frustrating."
Underlying Confidence and Equipment Issues
De Decker confirmed that similar bouts of anxiety had plagued him during other fixtures this season, attributing this largely to a dip in confidence compared to his 2023 and 2024 form. "A couple of times, yes, this year," he admitted when questioned.
He also pointed to a significant equipment change as a contributing factor to his performance challenges. "Before I changed to Mission, I played with the same set of darts for like eight or nine years. So to then have to switch to a different setup, it took me longer to get used to them than I expected," De Decker explained, highlighting the subtle yet critical adjustments required at the elite level.
Steps Towards Recovery and Future Ambitions
On a positive note, De Decker believes he has recently overcome a major psychological hurdle. "I've made some steps that I didn't think I was ever going to do," he shared. "Privately then, and it's been helping out a lot about how to deal with certain stuff and certain moments."
He now feels in a stronger position both in his game and mentally. "I'm in a better place with my darts and mentally than last year. I want to do well in every tournament and I just want to be playing well again," De Decker affirmed. His current focus is on rediscovering form rather than immediate title wins. "I don't necessarily have to win titles - just the feeling that I'm playing well would be a massive boost after last year."
In practice, his performances have been encouraging, with averages "up in the high 90s, low 100s" in best-of-19 games. However, he recognises the distinction between practice and competition, stating, "It's on the stage and in the PDC tournaments that you have to show that."
Looking ahead, De Decker's ultimate aspiration remains a place in the Premier League of Darts, though he approaches this goal with realism. "Everyone wants to be in the Premier League, or everyone wants to be in the Premier League just once," he observed. "It's the biggest honour in darts in my eyes, because you get selected as one of the top eight players of the world. It would be a massive, massive thing. But realism remains - I have to play a lot better than I did last year."
