BARNEY EXHAUSTED BY PDC TOUR AS AGE STARTS TO BITE AT THE OCHE
18/10/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD admits the relentless travel and his age are starting to catch up with him after grinding out a scrappy first-round win at the German Darts Championship.
The five-time world champion battled past Kevin Troppmann 6-3 in Hildesheim but averaged just 85.70 and failed to hit a single 180 as fatigue clearly took its toll.
‘Barney’ has shown flashes of form recently — including a quarter-final run at the Swiss Darts Trophy — yet looked a shadow of his best as he laboured through a sluggish performance.
Van Barneveld has been on the road for almost a month and confessed he’s struggling to cope with the demands of the relentless PDC schedule.
He said: “I haven’t been home since the 24th of September. Three and a half weeks on the spin — it takes its toll.
“I am tired. I am practicing good. I didn’t hit a 180 tonight.
“It was a really poor game. I missed six darts to get 3-2 up and then I lost the leg and I let him in the game.
“I was thinking, what is this? I feel good and comfortable, I am not nervous.
“But what is it? I never got an answer for that. I am happy with the win of course.
“I don’t know, I’m an old man.”
The Dutch legend knows he’ll need to raise his game when he faces Jonny Clayton in round two after the Welshman reached the semi-finals of last week’s World Grand Prix.
He added: “Tomorrow against Jonny Clayton has to be much better than this.
“He is an amazing player but I am not scared because tomorrow I will be there.
“This is not going to go for two days. I don’t know, I ate well and took rest.
“But travelling all the time on airplanes makes me tired.
“I’m not the youngest anymore, I am like 58.”
Van Barneveld also apologised to fans for skipping his usual autograph duties before the match — explaining he’s still feeling the effects of a nasty fall at the World Grand Prix earlier this month.
He continued: “Sorry for the walk-on, I didn’t sign anything. At the World Grand Prix there was a gap there and I fell down.
“It was hard for me and I got nearly injured.”
Van Barneveld hasn’t reached a semi-final on the ProTour this year despite playing all 32 events and last made the final four in a major at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
