After Michael van Gerwen took to the oche for the first time in his semi-final against Chris Dobey, everyone inside Alexandra Palace knew the Dutchman was heading for his seventh World Championship final.
The three-time champion planted his right foot down with a steely-look in his eyes before hitting three treble 20s with his first darts of the match. There was no celebration, not even a flicker of a smile, he just meant business.
Van Gerwen went on to dispatch Dobey with ease, smashing the Geordie 6-1 to book his spot in Friday’s extravaganza. Eventually, the emotion was there for all to see after throwing his final double of the match.
Now ‘Mighty Mike’ will face teenage sensation Luke Littler who is aiming to become the youngest darts player ever to lift the The Sid Waddell Trophy at just 17 years of age.
That record currently belongs to Van Gerwen himself, with the Dutch star first winning the World Championship title as a 24-year-old when he beat Peter Wright back in 2014.
His career has been a rollercoaster ever since that fateful day 11 years ago. Despite only being 35, many thought Van Gerwen’s peak years were in the past after his career came close to derailment due to problems away from the oche. However, his redemption arc is almost complete.
Michael van Gerwen has refound his best form at this year’s World Darts Championship
Van Gerwen faces young rival Luke Littler in the finaol at Alexandra Palace on Friday evening
The Dutchman is looking to win his fourth world title, last triumphing back in January 2019
When Van Gerwen burst onto the PDC scene in 2012, he looked close to untouchable. Had it not been for the dominance of darting legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, nobody would have got near him.
While his now rival Littler was still navigating primary school, it was the Dutchman who was the wonderkid. He broke a whole host of records as a youngster dazzling the world of darts.
By the age of 29, Van Gerwen had already won three world titles, taking home the sports top prize in 2017 and 2019 on top of his success in 2014. Many thought he was the closest thing darts would get to 16-time champion Taylor.
Well, his era of dominance was unsustainable. A series of medical issues, and his career taking him away from his wife and children, took its toll on Van Gerwen and the titles started to dry up. It’s fair to say, his road back to the top has been far from painless.
Medical issues hamper progress
Van Gerwen is certainly one of darts’ poster boys. As one of the most recognisable faces in the sport currently, only his opponent on Friday night, Littler, exceeds him in fame.
Something that is synonymous with ‘Mighty Mike’ is his big beaming smile. However, that grin has not been as prominent in the past few years, and that’s not because he has been claiming fewer titles.
The Dutchman has had countless problems with his jaw, suffering from an underbite that has caused him severe pain. Recently he claimed the discomfort became so intense that ‘even a slice of ham’ became tough to bite.
He has undergone two surgeries since the beginning of last year to correct his jaw issues, which affect his breathing and sleep, and the world finalist can now be seen wearing braces.
Van Gerwen has been hampered by jaw problems since early 2023 and has had two operations
The Dutchman’s recognisable face is now much-changed due to his underbite surgeries
Van Gerwen’s most recent surgery came after the World Matchplay, and he had to take a break from the intense darting calendar to rest up. Nevertheless, despite all his treatment, the pain in his jaw still affects his performance.
Speaking during the PDC World Series in September, Van Gerwen explained: ‘Anyone who’s ever had root canal treatment and knows what that feels like, I can tell this is a little boy compared to what I went through.
‘That really didn’t feel good, but it has to be to keep it together. My lower jaw is searching and wants to go back to its old position. I had a severe underbite. A steak or a tough baguette, that’s still a no-go.’
The health problems don’t stop there for Van Gerwen. He also suffers from gout, which is a type of arthritis in the foot that commonly affects people at an older age.
The 35-year-old has admitted to having sudden and severe joint pain in his big toe in the past, which can cause various problems with his dart throw given the stance he takes at the oche.
‘It’s been bothering me for a long time,’ the Dutchman said in November 2023. ‘I’m actually completely done with it. I have good medication, but it’s not really working yet.
‘It’s frustrating. I can’t do anything about it. We also have to deal with the doping authority, so we can’t just take everything.’
Van Gerwen can now be seen wearing braces when he plays as he continues to battle the issues
The 35-year-old’s smile looked very different even back when winning the Premier League in 2023
Life away from his wife proves a struggle
Throughout all of his difficulties, Van Gerwen has had his wife, Daphne, supporting him every step of the way. However, the majority of the time she has had to do it from afar.
The pair are childhood sweethearts, having met back in 2008 while still teenagers. They then wed six years later following the Dutchman’s first world title and now share two children.
Their relationship has not been without its struggles though. Just eight months after tying the knot in August 2014, Van Gerwen was involved in an alleged sexting that threatened to derail his marriage.
‘Mighty Mike’ was reported to have sent intimate messages to Stacey Owen, a fan he had spotted in the crowd while playing a darts tournament in the UK. As a result, he came out publicly to play down the intensity of his relationship with Ms Owen, while admitting his ‘regret’ at the texts.
‘I deeply regret my decision to exchange messages with Stacey Owen and my decision to meet her whilst I was already in the UK to play in the Premier League,’ van Gerwen wrote in a statement.
‘I wish to make clear that there has never been any physical relationship between Ms Owen and myself.
‘My primary concern is for my family and my wife Daphne, who I apologise to unreservedly. My hope is that people will now allow me to move forward and focus on my performances on the oche.’
In the end, Van Gerwen and Daphne rode out the rocky patch and are now inseparable.
Van Gerwen married his childhood sweetheart Daphne in 2014 and they have two children
The pair are going strong after suffering an early setback in their marriage and can be seen holidaying in Ibiza in 2021 (above)
However, that was not always the case. Daphne, who has over 34,000 followers on Instagram, started her career as a hairdresser.
As her husbands career sky-rocketed, she decided to sacrifice her life inside the salon to go on the road with Van Gerwen as frequently as possible.
Daphne can often be seen in the crowd with her children, while the 64-time title winner regularly points in her direction after his most significant victories in the sport.
Last year, after reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship at Ally Pally, Van Gerwen opened up about how much he struggles playing during the festive period.
He is forced to spend time away from his native Netherlands over Christmas and New Year in an attempt to prepare for matches at the competition, which has been the root of much sadness for the great player.
‘After the game, the kiss was for my family because they have to be without me again,’ Van Gerwen said after beating Stephen Bunting in 2023.
‘I’m feeling good and I’ve got some lovely people around me. Of course, I miss my kids, I miss my wife, but that’s part of the game.’
Return to form
Prior to the World Championships, which started in mid-December, Van Gerwen was having the toughest year of his career.
Van Gerwen’s star quality had seemingly waned, and that was epitomised when he was given an afternoon quarter-final slot for the first time since 2013 in this year’s tournament.
Van Gerwen was imperious against Callan Rydz and Chris Dobey in his route to the final
Van Gerwen is aiming to stop Littler breaking his record of becoming the youngest player ever to win the World Championship
Heading into the championships, Van Gerwen’s name was rarely mentioned when it came to predicting who was going to win the whole thing, most of the focus was on Littler and reigning champion Luke Humphries.
Even when the latter was knocked out, there were wonly murmurs of the Dutchman being able to claim a fourth title.
However, he made the world notice him once again when he came out on top in an all-time classic against Callan Rydz in the last eight.
The demolition of Dobey followed and now he has the chance to down the favourite Littler in front of a packed-out Ally Pally crowd.
Van Gerwen may have lost his last two world finals against Wright and Michael Smith, but remember the phrase ‘third time lucky?’. Well, he will be hoping that’s the case come Friday evening.