Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen has suggested that Peter Wright should consider retiring after his heavy defeat in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship.
Wright, a two-time world champion, won just two legs and averaged below 80 as he was beaten by debutant Arno Merk. Van Gerwen said he was “not surprised” by Wright’s performance, given his inconsistent form in recent years, and added, “It’s time for him to retire anyway.”
The 36-year-old Van Gerwen beat William O’Connor to reach the third round at Alexandra Palace.
Wright, 55, last won a European Tour event in 2024 and a Players Championship in 2022. He has not gone past the quarter-finals of a televised ranking tournament in the last two years and was not selected for the 2025 Premier League Darts season. He also failed to qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts for the first time since 2012.
Van Gerwen’s comments come after Wright recently suggested that Van Gerwen’s “vision is probably going.”
