THIBAULT TRICOLE

Thibault Tricole, born on 11 October 1989 in Auray and originally from Pluvigner in Morbihan, is France’s top darts player and one of the key figures in the development of the sport in his country. Nicknamed “The French Touch”, he makes his entrance to Ibrahim Maalouf’s Essentielles, a choice that reflects a strong cultural identity on the international stage.

He discovered darts at the age of 12 and joined the BDO circuit in 2010. In April 2022, he became the first Frenchman to reach the final of a world championship, losing to Neil Duff at the WDF World Championship. In November 2023, he won the West Europe Qualifier and qualified for the PDC World Championship, a first for a French player. In December 2023, he achieved another French first by beating Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde in the first round, becoming the first Frenchman to win a match at the PDC World Championship.

In January 2024, he secured his Tour Card at the Qualifying School in Kalkar and gained full entry to the PDC professional circuit. That same year, he caused a sensation by knocking out former world champion Gerwyn Price in the first round of the Players Championship Finals. In 2025, he became the first Frenchman to win a match on the European Tour, defeating former world champion Michael Smith.

A former landscape architect, Thibault Tricole left his profession in 2019 to devote himself entirely to darts. His status as France’s number one makes him a figurehead for darts in France, a country where the sport is enjoying steady growth. His performances demonstrate that a French player can compete at the very highest level on the world’s most demanding professional circuit.