‘No more excuses’ – Darts World Championship finalist done blaming painful kidney stone surgery for dip in form

Gian van Veen has ruled out using his past kidney stone problems as an excuse for his recent dip in form, admitting that confidence and growing expectations are the real challenges behind his struggles.

The world No. 3 enjoyed a remarkable start to the season, reaching the World Championship final and the semi-finals of the World Masters. However, the 24-year-old Dutchman has endured a tougher spell since finishing seventh in the Premier League, suffering second-round exits in four of his last six Euro Tour appearances.

Although Van Veen underwent surgery for kidney stones in March, he insists the health issue is now firmly behind him.

“I don’t think it’s just that, but it certainly didn’t help,” Van Veen said.

“I’m done using the kidney stones as an excuse. I’m fully recovered now. There are no health issues anymore.

“It’s more about the demanding schedule. You’re playing more matches, and when you lose more often, your confidence naturally takes a hit.

“As a player, I don’t feel I’ve changed much over the past year. I’m still the same person and capable of producing the same level on the dartboard.

“The difference is that people now expect much more from me. I’m no longer world No. 20 — I’m world No. 3.”

Van Veen begins his World Matchplay campaign on Sunday against Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, and he admits the pressure surrounding those matches is very different compared to a year ago.

“If I had played Krzysztof in the first round last year, people would have accepted it if I lost,” he explained.

“Now everyone expects me to win, and learning how to deal with those expectations has been one of my biggest challenges.

“It’s not like I suddenly improved my average by 10 points over the last year. That has been a huge learning experience.

“I’m handling those expectations much better than I was a few weeks ago. My performances are improving, so I believe things can only get better from here.”

Despite climbing to No. 3 in the world rankings, Van Veen believes his current level does not reflect that position and says he is not focused on moving even higher just yet.

The Dutchman acknowledged that his rapid rise has exceeded his own expectations, while also pointing out that the World Championship carries significant weight in the Order of Merit.

“With every young player, people compare them to Luke Littler, but I’ve never had a problem with that,” he said.

“The rankings are heavily influenced by the World Championship, which is a big reason why I’m world No. 3.

“If you look at my performances throughout 2025, I probably deserved to be around this level.

“But honestly, I’m not playing like the third-best player in the world right now. If Luke Humphries doesn’t defend a lot of ranking money, I could move up to No. 2, but that wouldn’t reflect how I’m performing.

“I’m not the second-best player in the world at this moment. I just need to focus on my own game.

“I’m really pleased with how far I’ve come over the last 12 months, and I never expected it to happen this quickly.”