By Tom Victor

Copyright walesonline

Darts star Michael van Gerwen claimed a huge victory over the weekend, beating Luke Littler in the World Series of Darts Finals. Not only did it earn the Dutchman a cool £80,000, but it helped draw a line under a tough period on and off the stage. “We all know what difficulties I’ve had in the last few months, but to do it in front of my home crowd means a lot to me, it’s amazing,” Van Gerwen told ITV Sport after winning in Amsterdam. “I’ve never been away, but I’ve had to dig really deep to do this. I love what I do. I hope this is the beginning of a lot more.” For so long, Van Gerwen was the man to beat. He won three World Championships and three World Matchplay titles, while Sunday’s World Series win was the sixth of his career. He has been dethroned, though, with Luke Humphries and then Littler beginning to dominate the sport. Sunday’s win was the first time Van Gerwen has won a televised final since back in 2023, and the intervening period hasn’t been without its challenges. The 36-year-old and his wife Daphne split in May after 11 years of marriage. He took himself out of the spotlight following the break-up, withdrawing from a number of tournaments, and later opened up about his coping mechanisms in an interview with Dutch outlet AD. “I’m just human, you know,” said Van Gerwen, as translated by The Express . “At some point, you want to think about nice things again, not just be preoccupied with the mess you’re experiencing at that moment. “I couldn’t write this script myself, so I’ll have to deal with it in a way I think is right. You could just sit around and grieve all day, but that’s pointless. So you do fun things, take time for yourself.” That isn’t the only time Van Gerwen’s real life has taken over in the last few months. He underwent jaw surgery in 2024, and spoke about the operation which kept him out of action for part of the season. “I’ll have an operation in which they’re going to break my upper jaw and lower jaw. Put them right on each other,” he said ahead of the procedure. “Then it’s all about recovery. Two years more in a brace. Then I’m about finished. “Between the first operation this year and the second one, there has to be a minimum of one year. It’s because my upper jaw is a lot smaller than my lower jaw. My underbite is over a centimetre. “Even a slice of ham, I cannot even bite properly. And because my upper jaw is too small also you get less oxygen through your nose. That creates headaches. Less sleep. Things like that.” He said he only resorted to surgery when there were “no other options.” Since then, though, he has found himself knocking on the door of another televised title before finally getting over the line. Van Gerwen lost to Humphries in the final of the World Matchplay in 2024 and made it all the way to the final of the World Championship around the turn of the year before falling short against Littler. At last, though, he has the title that can help set him on track to get back to his very best.