2026 European Darts Open

2026 Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open
Tournament information
Dates10–12 July 2026
VenueOstermann-Arena
LocationLeverkusen, Germany
Organisation(s)Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
FormatLegs
Prize fund£230,000
Winner's share£35,000
High checkout
Champion(s)
 Krzysztof Ratajski (POL)
«Event 9 Event 11»

The 2026 European Darts Open (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open) was a professional darts tournament that took place at the Ostermann-Arena in Leverkusen, Germany, from 10 to 12 July 2026.[1] It was the tenth of fifteen PDC European Tour events on the 2026 PDC Pro Tour. It featured a field of 48 players and £230,000 in prize money, with £35,000 going to the winner.

Nathan Aspinall was the defending champion, having defeated Damon Heta 8–6 in the 2025 final,[2] but he lost 6–4 to Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals.

Ratajski won his third European Tour title by defeating Jermaine Wattimena 8–6 in the final.

Prize money

As part of a mass boost in prize money for Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events in 2026, the prize fund for all 2026 European Tour events rose to £230,000, of which the winner will receive £35,000.[3]

Stage (num. of players) Prize money
Winner (1) £35,000
Runner-up (1) £15,000
Semi-finalists (2) £10,000
Quarter-finalists (4) £8,000
Third round losers (8) £5,000
Second round losers (16) £3,500*
First round losers (16) £2,000*
Total £230,000
  • Pre-qualified players from the Orders of Merit who lose in their first match of the event shall not be credited with prize money on any Order of Merit.[4]

Qualification and format

The top 16 players on the two-year PDC Order of Merit were seeded and entered the tournament in the second round, while the next 16 highest-ranked players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit automatically qualified for the first round. The seedings were confirmed on 13 May.[5] The remaining 16 places went to players from four qualifying events – 10 from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier (held on 20 May),[6] four from the Host Nation Qualifier (held on 17 May),[7] one from the Nordic & Baltic Associate Member Qualifier (held on 15 May),[8] and one from the East European Associate Member Qualifier (held on 4 July).

Gary Anderson, Ryan Searle, and Gerwyn Price withdrew and were replaced by Robert Owen, Max Hopp, and Dominik Grüllich. Luke Woodhouse, Damon Heta, and Krzysztof Ratajski moved up to become the 14th, 15th, and 16th seeds, respectively.[9]

Summary

First round

Max Hopp (pictured in 2019) defeated 2018 world champion Rob Cross in the first round.

The first round (best of 11 legs) was played on 10 July.[10] Host nation qualifier Jan Schmidt produced a comeback from 5–1 down to defeat Cameron Menzies in a deciding leg. "I really came here believing that I’m capable of winning on the European Tour, and I took this belief on to the stage," Schmidt said afterwards.[10] Fellow German qualifier Dragutin Horvat achieved his first win on the European Tour since 2023 by beating Mario Vandenbogaerde 6–2. The two other host nation qualifiers, Jaimy Van de Weerd and Daniel Klose, lost their respective matches to Dirk van Duijvenbode and Niels Zonneveld.[10] Aside from the host nation qualifiers, two other German players were victorious in the first round; Niko Springer registered a three-dart average of 105.21 in a 6–2 win over Darius Labanauskas, and Max Hopp earned a 6–3 victory against 2018 world champion Rob Cross.[11] Sebastian Białecki and Karel Sedláček both survived four match darts from their opponents, winning deciding legs against William O'Connor and European Tour debutant Rhys Griffin, respectively.[12][13]

Joe Cullen took a 5–1 lead before eventually winning 6–4 against Charlie Manby, who converted four ton-plus checkouts in defeat. Kevin Doets overturned a 3–1 deficit to defeat Dominik Grüllich 6–4. Robert Owen missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in his match against Andrew Gilding, but the Welshman recovered to claim a 6–5 victory, hitting eight maximums in the process. Mickey Mansell defeated Czech qualifier Michal Šmejda 6–1, while Ryan Joyce beat Finnish qualifier Mio Varila by the same scoreline. Samuel Price, another European Tour debutant, was beaten 6–1 by Kim Huybrechts. Maik Kuivenhoven was a 6–3 winner against Daryl Gurney, while Bradley Brooks defeated Lukas Wenig 6–2.[10][13]

Second round

Defending champion Nathan Aspinall (pictured in 2025) reached the quarter-finals, where he was eliminated by Krzysztof Ratajski.

The second round (best of 11 legs) was played on 11 July.[14] Defending champion Nathan Aspinall was victorious in his opening match, defeating Mickey Mansell 6–1 with an average of 107.23. In his post-match interview, Aspinall stated that Mansell played well but the thought of watching the England match later in the night made him feel relaxed.[15] Jan Schmidt continued his run with another upset victory, beating thirteenth seed Mike De Decker in his second last-leg decider.[16] Top seed Gian van Veen won 6–3 against Niko Springer in a match where both players averaged over 100. Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen defeated Joe Cullen 6–2, while sixth seed Stephen Bunting lost 6–4 to Ryan Joyce. Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Białecki both advanced to the third round with victories against Max Hopp and fifth seed Danny Noppert, respectively.[14]

Dragutin Horvat was unable to join fellow host nation qualifier Schmidt in the last 16 as he lost 6–0 to Luke Woodhouse.[16] Dutch compatriots Wessel Nijman and Jermaine Wattimena also achieved whitewashes in their respective wins against Bradley Brooks and Kim Huybrechts, with Nijman hitting a 170 checkout during his match.[17] Kevin Doets eliminated German number one and twelfth seed Martin Schindler in a 6–3 defeat, leaving Schmidt as the only German player left in the tournament.[17][18] Ross Smith was a 6–1 winner against Niels Zonneveld, while Jonny Clayton defeated Karel Sedláček by the same scoreline. Dirk van Duijvenbode beat seventh seed Chris Dobey 6–2, James Wade defeated Maik Kuivenhoven 6–4, and Damon Heta earned his own 6–4 win against Robert Owen.[15]

Final day

Krzysztof Ratajski (pictured in 2019) won his third European Tour title in his third final.

The third round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were played on 12 July. The third round and quarter-finals were contested over the best of 11 legs, the semi-finals over the best of 13 legs, and the final over the best of 15 legs.[19] The final day saw Krzysztof Ratajski and Jermaine Wattimena reach the final. Ratajski began his day by eliminating top seed Gian van Veen, defeating the Dutchman 6–3. He followed that win by beating defending champion Nathan Aspinall 6–4 in the quarter-finals.[19] In the European Tour's first all-Polish semi-final, he defeated first-time semi-finalist Sebastian Białecki 7–5 to advance to the final, hitting a 170 checkout en route.[20][21][22] Wattimena defeated Ryan Joyce 6–1 before a 6–5 victory over Luke Woodhouse sent him through to his first European Tour semi-final. He proceeded to go one step further, beating Damon Heta 7–3 to progress to the title decider. Ratajski was aiming to maintain his perfect record in European Tour finals, while Wattimena was looking to win his first European Tour title.[19]

Ratajski got off to a good start in the final, taking an early 4–1 lead. Wattimena responded by winning the next five legs, converting an 84 checkout to level the match and claiming the next leg to extend his advantage to 6–4.[21][23] Missed doubles from Wattimena allowed Ratajski to level at 6–6. He hit a 68 finish to go 7–6 ahead, then completed an 8–6 victory by pinning double 10 in the 14th leg.[19] Ratajski finished the final with a three-dart average of 92.43, while Wattimena averaged 86.73.[22]

Ratajski won his third European Tour title, adding to his victories at the 2019 Gibraltar Darts Trophy and the 2023 German Darts Open.[21] It was also his first ranking title of 2026 and his 12th overall.[23][24] He earned the £35,000 top prize, which saw him return to the top 20 in the PDC World Rankings for the first time in over three years.[24] Ratajski stated that the win was not expected, claiming that he "would have been happy with the last eight or last four", and added that he hoped to play well at the upcoming World Matchplay.[23] Despite the defeat, Wattimena described the final sessions as a "magic day" and said that it was a fair result as both players missed chances during the match.[23]

Draw

The draw was announced on 9 July.[9] Numbers to the left of a player's name show the seedings for the top 16 in the tournament. The figures to the right of a player's name state their three-dart average in a match. The three reserve players are indicated by 'Alt'. Players in bold denote match winners.[25]

First round
(best of 11 legs)
10 July		Second round
(best of 11 legs)
11 July		Third round
(best of 11 legs)
12 July		Quarter-finals
(best of 11 legs)
12 July		Semi-finals
(best of 13 legs)
12 July		Final
(best of 15 legs)
12 July
  Niko Springer 105.2161 Gian van Veen 101.596
  Darius Labanauskas 83.202  Niko Springer 102.843
1 van Veen 88.913
16 Ratajski 91.806
  Rob Cross 93.30316 Krzysztof Ratajski 94.076
Alt Max Hopp 95.346Alt Max Hopp 92.373
16 Ratajski 92.596
8 Aspinall 89.874
  Mickey Mansell 85.7568 Nathan Aspinall 107.236
  Michal Šmejda 78.031  Mickey Mansell 93.571
8 Aspinall 96.316
9 Smith 94.774
  Niels Zonneveld 98.5469 Ross Smith 100.246
  Daniel Klose 98.782  Niels Zonneveld 85.891
16 Ratajski 100.407
 Białecki 94.575
  Daryl Gurney 85.9834 James Wade 89.586
  Maik Kuivenhoven 93.496  Maik Kuivenhoven 88.104
4 Wade 86.546
  Schmidt 80.152
  Cameron Menzies 94.81513 Mike De Decker 78.165
  Jan Schmidt 89.176  Jan Schmidt 81.866
4 Wade 86.712
  Białecki 96.936
  William O'Connor 84.9355 Danny Noppert 98.263
  Sebastian Białecki 86.176  Sebastian Białecki 98.776
  Białecki 102.156
  Doets 98.284
  Kevin Doets 98.72612 Martin Schindler 79.123
Alt Dominik Grüllich 84.764  Kevin Doets 90.566
16 Ratajski 92.438
11 Wattimena 86.736
  Joe Cullen 97.6262 Michael van Gerwen 99.616
  Charlie Manby 93.694  Joe Cullen 93.322
2 van Gerwen 98.324
15 Heta 100.746
  Andrew Gilding 91.68515 Damon Heta 92.066
Alt Robert Owen 97.896Alt Robert Owen 86.374
15 Heta 96.156
  van Duijvenbode 90.302
  Dirk van Duijvenbode 89.3567 Chris Dobey 95.552
  Jaimy van de Weerd 87.593  Dirk van Duijvenbode 94.656
  van Duijvenbode 91.386
10 Nijman 96.643
  Lukas Wenig 83.71210 Wessel Nijman 94.936
  Bradley Brooks 87.116  Bradley Brooks 86.860
15 Heta 88.523
11 Wattimena 86.677
  Karel Sedláček 88.8463 Jonny Clayton 99.446
  Rhys Griffin 89.045  Karel Sedláček 97.931
3 Clayton 93.765
14 Woodhouse 98.296
  Mario Vandenbogaerde 74.70214 Luke Woodhouse 91.096
  Dragutin Horvat 79.526  Dragutin Horvat 75.750
14 Woodhouse 89.495
11 Wattimena 90.166
  Ryan Joyce 85.4966 Stephen Bunting 87.504
 Finland Mio Varila 72.531  Ryan Joyce 91.236
  Joyce 83.051
11 Wattimena 89.666
  Kim Huybrechts 91.76611 Jermaine Wattimena 92.976
  Samuel Price 78.741  Kim Huybrechts 78.970

References

  1. ↑ "Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Open 2026". PDC Europe. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "European Darts Open: Nathan Aspinall beats Damon Heta in final to claim second Euro Tour title of 2025". Sky Sports. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Phillips, Josh (31 March 2025). "Biggest prize money increase in PDC history confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "PDC Rankings Rules". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  5. ↑ Gorton, Josh (9 April 2026). "2026 ET9-10 Seeds & Tour Card Holder qualifier entries confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "PDC ET10 Tour Card Holder Qualifier". DartConnect. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "PDC ET10 Host Nation Qualifier". DartConnect. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "PDCNB 2026 Tour - Sweden - Weekend 04". DartConnect. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 Simpson, Will (9 July 2026). "2026 European Darts Open draw & schedule confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Gorton, Josh (10 July 2026). "Schmidt stuns Menzies as Springer lights up Leverkusen". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Jeffries, Rob (10 July 2026). "Jan Schmidt's stunning comeback headlines dramatic opening day at European Darts Open". Darts Planet TV. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Michael, Lucas (10 July 2026). "Menzies squanders 5-1 lead as Gilding also stunned in thrilling last-leg deciders". dartsnews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 Wood, Kieran (10 July 2026). "Niko Springer fires 105 average warning to Luke Littler in Leverkusen as Max Hopp stuns Rob Cross". dartsnews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 Wagner, Connor (11 July 2026). "Aspinall and Schmidt steal the show in Leverkusen with resounding victories". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 "European Darts Open: Nathan Aspinall kickstarts title defence with win as Stephen Bunting knocked out". Sky Sports. 11 July 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 Hinzberg, Lars (11 July 2026). "Deutsche Darts-Sensation geht weiter" [German darts sensation continues]. Sport1 (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 Jeffries, Rob (12 July 2026). "Aspinall impresses as Schmidt's European Darts Open dream run continues". Darts Planet TV. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Sagner, Niklas (11 July 2026). "Deutsches Trio ausgeschieden" [German trio eliminated]. Sport1 (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Simpson, Will (12 July 2026). "Ratajski seals Euro Tour hat-trick with European Darts Open triumph". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Miller, Tymon (13 July 2026). "'Polish Eagle' soars again: Ratajski's comeback win at European Darts Open". TVP World. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 "ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Open: Ratajski triumphs in Leverkusen". PDC Europe. 13 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 Wood, Kieran (12 July 2026). "Krzysztof Ratajski storms back from 6-4 down to deny Jermaine Wattimena and win third Euro Tour title". dartsnews.com. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "European Darts Open: Krzysztof Ratajski beats Jermaine Wattimena to lift title ahead of World Matchplay". Sky Sports. 12 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  24. 1 2 Simpson, Will (13 July 2026). "PDC Werner Rankings Ladder Update after European Darts Open". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "Results of European Darts Open 2026". Mastercaller. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
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