Darts icon Michael Van Gerwen believes he will have a target on his back prior to the World Championships. Next month fans will descend upon Alexandra Palace for the 2023 edition of the event, which the Dutchman has won three times in the past.
The 33-year-old enters the tournament in a rich vein of form, having won the Players Championship Finals title for the seventh time in 10 years on Sunday, beating Rob Cross. That marked his fifth televised title of the year and the world number three has his sights set on becoming the champion of the world once again, but knows it will be difficult. "Yeah [I'm the favourite], I would go into the tournament as favourite anyway even without the wins,” van Gerwen said.
"People always want to beat me, I know that. I have a big target on my back, but I can handle it. I've been under pressure so many times, and most of the time, I've survived. As long as you keep working, keep digging, then everything works out."
Asked who his main challengers would be, Van Gerwen name-checked several players, who said "no one is really standing up after me."
He added that he is relishing the prospect of taking home the sport's biggest prize for a fourth time and thinks it will be "tough" for anyone to beat him. "It's a bit weird. Because of course Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, they are all phenomenal players, who are doing well," he added. "Luke Humphries is doing well recently, and then you never know with Jonny Clayton.
"But there's not really someone standing up after me on tournaments. If I had to say, someone who is on form at the moment is Michael Smith." Van Gerwen's 2022 campaign ended due to contracting coronavirus and was whitewashed by Dave Chisnall the previous year. But a rejuvenated and motivated Dutchman says things are different this time.
"Of course I want to win but it's still going to be a hard tournament, everyone knows that. It means a lot. It's what I work for, it's what I want to win," he said. "Last year, everyone knows, was a disaster for me. The year before as well with Coronavirus, without crowds is not the best thing.
"But we're back to normal now, and also my form has started to get back to normal now, so I hope that's a great combination to make sure I'm going to do well again.
"It's the biggest tournament of the year, and it's the most supported one, and with the form I'm going in with, It's going to be tough for people to beat me."
Van Gerwen will face either Niels Zonneveld or Lewy Williams in his opening match, while Peter Wright, the defending champion, will open his account against Mickey Mansell or Ben Robb.
World number one Gerwyn Price meanwhile, has been drawn against the first-round winner of Luke Woodhouse against Vladyslav Omelchenko.
