HETA ADMITS PRESSURE IS TAKING ITS TOLL
22/04/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
DAMON HETA admits the pressure of expectation has taken its toll after a frustrating run of results this season.
The Aussie has struggled to hit top gear for much of the year, suffering a second-round exit at the World Masters before crashing out in the fourth round of the UK Open.
The Heat has managed just one semi-final run on the ProTour, which came at the European Darts Trophy, but consistency has proved elusive.
World No.20 Heta was most recently dumped out of the second round at the German Darts Grand Prix in a deciding leg defeat to home favourite Martin Schindler.
But after edging past Madars Razma 6-4 in Sindelfingen in his first-round match, Heta gave an honest insight into the mental battle behind his dip in form.
He said: “Just hold your bloody throw, how hard is it? It’s bloody hard, especially when you go treble-less and there is so much pressure on yourself.
“Just relax, boy, play darts, you know you can play.
“It’s expectation and you put so much effort in as well. Not to get rewards sometimes, it keeps beating you down.
“But it’s up to yourself what you do afterwards and what you do behind the scenes. You have to come on and then perform.
“With these European Tours, they mean so much, so it is a lot of relief there. I felt like it was a weight lifted off my shoulders just getting another win on the European Tour.”
Heta has thrived on the floor circuit, winning two Players Championship titles in each season since 2022, but has yet to reach a quarter-final this campaign.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
