Gerwyn Price has opened up about the health problem that forced him to pull out of the inaugural Poland Darts Open in Krakow, as the Welsh former world champion moved to reassure fans following a difficult week off the oche.
The PDC confirmed that Price had withdrawn from the European Tour event in Krakow due to medical reasons following Night Three of the BetMGM Premier League in Glasgow SPORTbible, where the Welshman had already struggled visibly before the decision to sit out the Krakow tournament was made. Rumours swirled around the press room in Glasgow that Price had been feeling under the weather on stage that evening, and those were subsequently confirmed when the PDC released an official statement the following morning. Dartsplanet
The news represented a sharp blow for Price, who had entered the week riding a crest of form. Just seven days earlier, in Antwerp, he had beaten Michael van Gerwen 6-3 in the Premier League final, describing himself afterwards as playing “some of the best darts I’ve ever played.” Caerphilly Observer His early exit in Glasgow — a 6-3 quarter-final defeat to compatriot Jonny Clayton, his lowest average of the night by some distance at 91.96 Dartsnews — had already hinted that something was amiss.
Taking to Instagram in the aftermath, Price attempted to put a positive spin on events, writing: “Gutted there after getting myself back into great form and where I want to be. Hopefully back and ready for next week in Belfast.” Dartsnews His message made clear that his focus, even in discomfort, was already fixed firmly on the road ahead.
The Poland Open itself — the first European Tour event ever to be held in Poland — went ahead without Price as well as Michael van Gerwen, who had also missed the Glasgow Premier League night due to a separate medical issue and had been unable to recover sufficiently to travel to Krakow. SPORTbible Price was replaced in the field by former world champion Michael Smith SPORTbible, who had narrowly missed qualification through the normal route.
The Welshman’s recovery, though, proved impressively swift. Within days he had returned to the oche and was back to his best. On February 25, Price won Players Championship Six in Leicester with an 8-1 demolition of Andrew Gilding in the final, posting averages above 107 across the day to claim his 22nd Players Championship title. Evrim Ağı Reflecting on his display, Price said: “I thought I played decent. There were one or two games where I wasn’t at my best — even in the final — but I had enough in the tank. It’s a big night for me in the Premier League, so it’s great to get a bit of confidence by winning this and I’m looking forward to Thursday night now.” Evrim Ağı
That Thursday night brought him back to the Premier League stage in Belfast, where he was drawn against Van Gerwen in a highly anticipated quarter-final — a rematch of their Antwerp final — with both men returning from their respective health scares.
The episode is the latest in a recurring theme of health battles for Price, who has been remarkably candid about his physical struggles over the years. At the 2025 World Championship, Price revealed he had been suffering from an inner ear problem that had plagued him for years, describing the sensation of feeling like he was in a “swimming pool of water” and needing to pop his ears every couple of minutes during matches. SPORTbible “I have had this problem for the last six, seven, eight years — I am used to it now,” he admitted at Alexandra Palace, adding that he had repeatedly missed appointments with an ENT specialist because of his busy tournament schedule. SPORTbible
The 40-year-old from Markham in Caerphilly has also endured separate physical setbacks in recent years. In August 2025, he was forced to withdraw from a Players Championship event after posting images on social media showing his right hand severely swollen, with a drip in his arm as he sat in a hospital waiting room. SPORTbible He fought back from that scare too, going on to have one of the best periods of his career shortly afterwards.
Price’s resilience remains one of his most defining qualities. A rugby league and union player in his youth before transitioning to darts professionally in 2014, the 2021 world champion has also undergone a dramatic three-stone weight loss in recent months, shedding close to 20 kilograms in an effort to be in the best possible physical condition for the demands of a long season. GB News
With Cardiff next on the Premier League horizon on March 5, Price will be hoping home soil gives him — and fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton — a further boost. Whatever the specific nature of his latest ailment, the speed with which he returned to winning ways at Players Championship Six suggests ‘The Iceman’ is thawing back to his formidable best.
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