Raymond van Barneveld has cast doubt on his future in darts after a first-round exit at the PDC World Championship. The five-time world champion was beaten 3-0 by Swiss qualifier Stefan Bellmont at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday.
Van Barneveld, 58, admitted he is 'suffering' from a string of defeats and is unsure what comes next. 'I wonder what to do because suffering every week from all the defeats is not what I want,' he said. 'That's obvious.'
The Dutchman, who won the title on his debut in 2007, has now failed to reach the quarter-finals in his last six appearances. He described 2024 as 'a very poor year' and confessed he is clueless about his next steps.
'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,' Van Barneveld added. 'It's so frustrating that in practice I hit a 140 and a 180 every time.'
Bellmont, who does not hold a Tour Card, will face Damon Heta in the second round. Van Barneveld's defeat means he will drop down the PDC Order of Merit.
