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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Donald McRae

Michael van Gerwen: ‘Of course I love darts, but I love my kids much more’

Michael van Gerwen at Ashton Gate in Bristol .
Michael van Gerwen at Ashton Gate in Bristol . Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/The Guardian

“I can be a miserable bastard sometimes,” Michael van Gerwen says with a grin and a shrug as he tries to explain his new burst of optimism after a horribly testing year. “But I can also be quite positive. If you asked me this question a month ago, and we did this interview then, you would find me a bit different to today. But I feel good now even if, 100%, this has been a very tough year for me both on and off the oche.”

Rather than being miserable, the 36-year-old is amiable company – which seems remarkable as in 2025 he has been through a divorce after 17 years with his wife, Daphne, witnessed the devastating effect of cancer on his father, endured intense scrutiny in the Dutch media, and struggled to regain his once imperious form with the arrows.

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