Saudi Darts Masters draw confirmed as Van Gerwen faces star drafted in at short notice and Aspinall in freak coincidence
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The draw for the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters has been confirmed, with Michael van Gerwen set to face a late replacement while Nathan Aspinall finds himself in a remarkable repeat matchup just days after their previous encounter.
Van Gerwen’s Last-Minute Opponent
Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, fresh off his victory at the Bahrain Darts Masters last week, will open his Saudi Arabia campaign against India’s Nitin Kumar—a player drafted into the tournament at the eleventh hour.
Kumar received the call-up on Saturday after Filipino star Paolo Nebrida was forced to withdraw due to illness. The Indian trailblazer, who made history at the recent World Championship by becoming the first Indian player to record a victory at Alexandra Palace, now steps into the breach for what will be his third World Series appearance.
Van Gerwen enters as the top seed in Riyadh following his imperious 8-6 victory over Gian van Veen in Friday’s Bahrain final. The Dutch superstar is seeking back-to-back World Series titles and claimed his remarkable 17th World Series trophy in Sakhir.
“What Gian has been producing lately, with the World Championship final and now straight away this tournament, we are going to see a lot more of him,” van Gerwen said after his Bahrain triumph. “I think there will be plenty more matches between us to come.”
The Freak Coincidence
In a remarkable quirk of the draw, Nathan Aspinall will face Lourence Ilagan in a repeat of their Bahrain Darts Masters encounter—making it back-to-back meetings between the pair in the space of just four days.
Aspinall edged past the Filipino player 6-4 in a tense contest in Bahrain on Thursday, with the match proving far more challenging than expected. Ilagan pushed the former World Matchplay champion all the way, leveling at 4-4 before Aspinall finally got over the line on his third match dart.
The PDC confirmed the Saudi Arabia draw with the phrase: “Nathan Aspinall and Lourence Ilagan renew their rivalry in a repeat of their clash in Bahrain.”
For Aspinall, who appeared visibly frustrated throughout his Bahrain victory, the repeat draw offers an immediate chance for revenge—or for Ilagan to level the score. The Filipino demonstrated in their first meeting that he can compete with the PDC elite, starting strongly and refusing to fade even when trailing.
Aspinall will be particularly motivated in Saudi Arabia after being overlooked for the 2026 Premier League Darts, a snub that clearly stung the Stockport player. He featured in last year’s Finals Night but missed out on a wildcard selection for the upcoming season.
Kumar’s Opportunity
For Nitin Kumar, the late call-up represents a golden opportunity to build on his breakthrough World Championship performance. The 31-year-old defeated Richard Veenstra 3-2 in the first round at Alexandra Palace before suffering a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Stephen Bunting in the second round.
Kumar’s inclusion comes at the expense of Nebrida, who had been part of the original 16-player lineup announced on January 7. The Filipino’s illness-enforced withdrawal opened the door for Kumar to make the trip to Riyadh.
Facing van Gerwen in such imperious form represents a daunting challenge, but Kumar arrives with the confidence of a player who has already proven he can perform on the biggest stages. His historic victory at Alexandra Palace demonstrated composure and quality under intense pressure.
Should Kumar cause an upset, he would face either Stephen Bunting or Japan’s Tomoya Goto in the quarter-finals.
The Full Draw
The complete first-round draw for the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters features several intriguing matchups:
(1) Michael van Gerwen v Nitin Kumar
The top seed faces the late replacement in the tournament opener
Stephen Bunting v Tomoya Goto
The reigning Bahrain champion takes on Japan’s two-time World Championship qualifier
(4) Nathan Aspinall v Lourence Ilagan
The repeat encounter that has captured attention
Danny Noppert v Man Lok Leung
Dutch star faces Hong Kong’s World Cup quarter-finalist
(2) Gian van Veen v Motomu Sakai
World Championship runner-up against Japanese representative
Luke Littler v Paul Lim
Another repeat match as world champion faces Singapore legend for the second straight tournament
(3) Gerwyn Price v Alexis Toylo
Former world champion takes on PDC Asian Tour winner
Luke Humphries v Ryusei Azemoto
World number two faces Japanese challenger
Potential Quarter-Final Matchups
The draw sets up potentially explosive quarter-final clashes on Tuesday evening:
- Van Gerwen/Kumar vs Bunting/Goto
- Aspinall/Ilagan vs Noppert/Leung
- Van Veen/Sakai vs Littler/Lim
- Price/Toylo vs Humphries/Azemoto
The bottom half of the draw could produce a blockbuster quarter-final between world champion Littler and either Van Veen or Sakai, while the top half might see van Gerwen face defending Bahrain champion Bunting.
The Schedule
Monday, January 19 (7:00 PM local time, 4:00 PM GMT)
All eight first-round matches (best of 11 legs)
Tuesday, January 20 (7:00 PM local time, 4:00 PM GMT)
Quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final in one blockbuster evening session
The condensed format means the remaining eight players after Monday’s action will have to win three matches in a single night to claim the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters title.
The Prize on Offer
Beyond the standard tournament prize money, players will be chasing the most lucrative nine-dart bonus in PDC history. Any player who hits a nine-darter during the event will receive $100,000 (£74,700), with the chance to double that to $200,000 (£149,400) by hitting the “Riyadh Season Bullseye” with a single subsequent dart.
The innovative format offers the potential for a $200,000 payout from a single dart—unprecedented in professional darts.
Form Guide
Van Gerwen arrives in peak form after his Bahrain victory, where he produced a resounding performance in the final with checkouts of 130 and 113 while averaging north of 109. His path to the title saw him defeat Alexis Toylo, Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, and Van Veen.
Aspinall will be seeking to channel the form that saw him upset world number two Luke Humphries 6-3 in the Bahrain quarter-finals with a 104 average. However, his narrow escape against Ilagan suggests he may not yet be firing on all cylinders.
Kumar, meanwhile, comes in cold compared to the PDC stars who competed in Bahrain, but the short notice may work in his favor psychologically—there’s no time for nerves to build.
Historic Occasion
The tournament marks the first time professional darts has visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, forming part of the country’s ambitious Riyadh Season entertainment initiative. The event follows Saudi Arabia’s successful hosting of major boxing, Formula 1, golf, and football events in recent years.
For van Gerwen, Aspinall, and Kumar, Monday night’s opening round will determine whether they can navigate their respective challenges—a late replacement, a freak repeat draw, and a last-minute opportunity—on darts’ Saudi debut.
The action begins Monday evening at the Global Theater in Riyadh, with all first-round matches played over the best of 11 legs format before Tuesday’s winner-takes-all finale.
