Gerwyn Price has officially returned to the PDC world top four after reaching the 2026 World Matchplay final. The ranking update published by the PDC moves him above Michael van Gerwen, James Wade and Jonny Clayton. There is a Welsh angle too: Price is back as his country’s number one ahead of his former World Cup partner.
For Michael van Gerwen, the punishment is clear. After losing 14-12 to Dirk van Duijvenbode in Blackpool, he is no longer only slipping in a provisional table: he has dropped to seventh in the world after failing to defend the £100,000 from his 2024 final run. The PDC notes that he had not been outside the top four since January 2013.
This shift extends a week already shaped by Luke Littler’s record title defence and by Luke Littler’s 9-darter against Nathan Aspinall. Put another way: the 2026 World Matchplay did not only produce a champion. It also moved part of the PDC’s top order.
Van Gerwen beaten in a tie-break
As for the match itself, Van Duijvenbode put in a strong performance. Sky Sports described a tense encounter, decided in a tie-break after a long battle between the two Dutchmen. Van Gerwen put up a fight, however. Trailing 8-4, he fought back to 10-10, notably with a spectacular finish on the triple bullseye followed by a break just as the match was threatening to slip from his grasp.
But in the extra time under the World Matchplay format, he still needed to hold on to a two-leg lead. Van Duijvenbode regained the upper hand with a powerful run: six perfect darts to open a leg in 11 darts, take the lead at 13-12, then finish on double 8 after several match darts. The score tells one story, but the context reveals a little more: Van Gerwen had his chances, but he failed to regain control at the decisive moment.
What the official update changes
The first consequence concerns Gerwyn Price. Beaten in the final by Luke Littler, the Welshman still banks £125,000 and climbs back to world number four. His Blackpool run, with wins over Martin Schindler, Rob Cross, Ross Smith and Gian van Veen, therefore matters beyond the final itself.
Van Gerwen, meanwhile, drops to seventh. That is more than a simple numerical fall: the PDC points out that he had not been outside the world top four for more than thirteen years. James Wade and Jonny Clayton also sit behind Price in this updated rankings picture.
The update also confirms several moves further down. Wessel Nijman rises to 13th, Ross Smith climbs to 15th, and Dirk van Duijvenbode advances to 23rd after his semi-final run. By contrast, Mike De Decker and Daryl Gurney fall to 22nd and 29th respectively, with World Grand Prix qualification already part of the wider picture.
Infographic: the most visible ranking shifts after Blackpool.
| Marker | Confirmed after Blackpool |
|---|---|
| Gerwyn Price | World number four after reaching the final |
| Michael van Gerwen | World number seven, outside the top four for the first time since January 2013 |
| Wessel Nijman | World number 13 after reaching the last 16 |
| Ross Smith | World number 15 after reaching the quarter-finals |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | World number 23 after reaching the semi-finals |
| Prize money won by Price | £125,000 |
Tougher draws ahead of the upcoming majors
The real problem is not merely symbolic. Dropping out of the top four could alter the draw structure at upcoming major tournaments. A Van Gerwen who is less well protected by his seeding could face players such as Luke Littler or Luke Humphries earlier on, rather than avoiding them until the later rounds.
For a player of his calibre, this distinction is significant. Van Gerwen remains a huge name on the circuit, but this exit confirms that his lead in the rankings is no longer what it was during his years of dominance. It is no longer enough to be dangerous by reputation alone. He now needs to rack up big results again, especially at the majors, which pay the most.
Blackpool is already shaping up to be a more open contest
This defeat comes on top of what has already been a very nerve-wracking tournament. Humphries was knocked out in the first round, Van Gerwen went out in the second, Littler responded with a massive performance, and several challengers sense that there is a real opportunity to be seized.
The coming months will reveal just how much Van Gerwen can limit the damage. But the signal is already clear: in Blackpool, he lost a match, dropped a place in the rankings, and lost some of his protection in future draws. For us, this is a stronger signal than a mere second-round defeat.
Sources: PDC, Sky Sports, DartsNews.
