DE DECKER WARNED OVER RANKINGS SLUMP

MIKE DE DECKER has been warned he could tumble down the PDC rankings after a worrying lack of consistency.

World No.19 De Decker has struggled to build on his breakthrough success, having won his maiden Players Championship crown and the World Grand Prix in 2024.

‘The Real Deal’ did not pick up a title on the ProTour or reach a quarter-final in a ranked major event last year.

De Decker was also knocked out in round one of the World Championship as he lost 3-2 to Kenyan debutant David Munuya.

Former pro Matt Edgar warned that failing to build on a big Premier event triumph could prove costly.

He said on his YouTube channel Edgar TV: “When you have a big title on your rankings, a couple of years later you know it is going to come off.

“So, you need to make it count with consistency across the board. Last year, 2025 was not a consistent year for Mike De Decker.

“This year could cause some problems. He is not in the world’s top 16 and is now positioned 19th in the rankings.

“Which means he is not in the seeded positions, therefore he is going to have to rely on things like the Pro Tour Order of Merit to get himself into the big events.

“Worrying times for Mike De Decker in regard to what events he will get into and how he will do so.”

Edgar also highlighted just how much is at stake for De Decker over the coming months, with a significant chunk of his prize money under threat.

He added: “64.7 per cent of his prize money is up for grabs, which is £120,000 at the World Grand Prix. He also has the Grand Slam to come off, pretty much all the majors, and a ProTour title.

“£267,000 in total is due to come off the Order of Merit for Mike De Decker, which could see him slip down quite significantly when you look at the players below him.

“He could even drop outside the world’s top 32.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.