Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Nathan Aspinall has delivered a candid assessment of darts’ controversial Saudi Arabia debut, acknowledging the event has “a long way to go” despite opening his campaign with a commanding 6-1 victory over Lourence Ilagan.
A Different Atmosphere
The inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters marks the PDC’s first event in the Kingdom, following discussions between PDC president Barry Hearn and General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh. The two-day tournament features 16 players competing as part of the 2026 World Series of Darts.
However, the first round exposed significant challenges in translating darts’ traditional atmosphere to the Middle Eastern setting. The walk-ons and matches were marked by a noticeable lack of crowd participation, with minimal engagement from those in attendance at the relatively small venue.
Aspinall addressed the backlash head-on after his opening victory.
“There’s definitely a long way to go,” the 34-year-old told Darts Now. “It was certainly different. I’m not stupid. I feel like they wasn’t all there off their own accord shall we say and it was quite a small venue.”
Despite the subdued atmosphere, Aspinall struck an optimistic note about the event’s potential for growth.
“Everything needs to start somewhere,” he explained. “As long as people walk away from this week and go, ‘I really enjoyed the darts’ and it gets good coverage – with the Saudi Arabia press talk highly of the darts then there’s no reason why not.”
Competing Despite Disappointment
Aspinall’s participation in Saudi Arabia comes just weeks after learning he’d been overlooked for the 2026 Premier League Darts—a snub that still clearly stings.
The Stockport player revealed the brutal moment he discovered his fate while traveling alongside Stephen Bunting, who had just received his own invitation.
“I was sat next to Stephen Bunting on a plane and he got a text at 3:15pm saying he was in, I got a text at 3:21pm saying I wasn’t in,” Aspinall recounted in a social media video. “He’s buzzing, and I wanted to jump off the plane! So, it was a difficult travel home.”
The timing was particularly harsh. Aspinall had finished third in the 2025 Premier League behind champion Luke Humphries and runner-up Luke Littler, reaching Finals Night at The O2. However, he wasn’t among the eight players selected for 2026.
The lineup features Humphries, Littler, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, and Gerwyn Price. Four spots went to the top-ranked players, with the remaining four selected as wildcards.
Processing the Rejection
While disappointed, Aspinall has chosen to handle the setback with maturity rather than public complaints.
“Matt [Porter, PDC Chief Executive] explained the reasons why he didn’t put me in,” Aspinall said. “You know, I think I backdoored it last year, I don’t think I deserved it last year. I felt like I probably did deserve it this year and I didn’t get it but I’m not dwelling on it.”
He added: “I haven’t put anything out on social media because I can’t be bothered with people jumping on it. I’ve accepted the decision and we move forward and it gives me hunger and fight to not miss out again.”
When pressed on the specific reasons for his omission, Aspinall was succinct: “My ranking was too low.”
Contrasting Reactions
Aspinall’s measured response stands in contrast to fellow snubbed player James Wade, who took to social media to express his frustration.
“Hard work pays off… really? Disappointed, but proud of the work I put in this year chasing one goal getting back to the Premier League,” Wade wrote on X. “Missing out hurts, but that’s part of the journey.”
Wade highlighted his credentials, noting: “I trusted my performances in the big moments, two major finals and two major quarter-finals and I’ll keep backing that process. Back to work now. 2026, I’ll be ready.”
Focusing on Saudi Arabia
For now, Aspinall must channel any lingering frustration into his Saudi Arabia campaign. He advances to the quarter-finals, where he’ll face Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung on Tuesday evening’s blockbuster session featuring all quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
The tournament offers Aspinall a chance to prove the PDC wrong about their Premier League selection—and to help establish whether darts can truly flourish in Saudi Arabia despite the challenging start.
His honest assessment of the event’s teething problems reflects a player who understands both the commercial realities of modern sport and the importance of authentic atmosphere in darts. Whether Saudi Arabia can develop that authenticity remains to be seen, but Aspinall’s willingness to give it time suggests the PDC’s experiment may yet succeed.
The 2026 Premier League campaign that Aspinall will miss begins February 5 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, while his immediate focus remains on navigating the unfamiliar Saudi Arabian waters and adding silverware to compensate for his Premier League absence.
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