Dimitri Van den Bergh will miss next month’s World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. According to Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian has decided not to enter either of the two remaining qualifying events, leaving him with no chance of reaching the World Championship.

That also appears to make the loss of his PDC Tour Card inevitable. It is a striking development for the former world number five, who won the UK Open just two years ago.

Van den Bergh has endured a particularly difficult spell. The two-time major winner has slipped down the world rankings over the past two seasons and needed to secure a place among the PDC Order of Merit’s top 64 through the World Championship.

To do that, he first needed to qualify for the World Championship and then win at least two matches. However, the Antwerp native has decided not to take his final chances to compete at the tournament.

Van den Bergh skips two qualifying events

The World Championship qualifier for Dutch and Belgian players is scheduled for Saturday, 14-11. Among those entered are Andy Baetens and Brian Raman. Baetens qualified for the World Championship through this route last year.

Van den Bergh was also offered the chance to compete, but the Belgian declined. He will also miss the final qualifier for PDC Tour Card holders, which takes place on 30-11. Four places remain up for grabs for the World Darts Championship, which begins on 11.12.

There is plenty at stake for the players. Simply reaching the first round of the World Championship earns £15,000. Eighty players have already secured their places, including Belgians Mike De Decker, Kim Huybrechts and Mario Vandenbogaerde. The remaining Tour Card holders will have one more chance to join the field at the final qualifier. Van den Bergh is choosing to let that opportunity pass.

Dimitri Van den Bergh won the UK Open in 2024

From world-class contender to losing his Tour Card

Van den Bergh’s decline is striking given his recent achievements. In 2020, he won the World Matchplay on his debut at the tournament. He defeated Gary Anderson in the final to claim his first major PDC title.

A year later, the Belgian reached the final of the prestigious Blackpool event again, but this time Peter Wright proved too strong. Van den Bergh established himself among the world’s elite during that period. He climbed to fifth in the PDC Order of Merit, received an invitation to the Premier League Darts and reached the World Championship semi-finals in 2023. Michael van Gerwen eliminated him there.

The Belgian showed in 2024 that he was still capable of major achievements. He won the UK Open, beating reigning world champion Luke Humphries in the final to claim his second major title. Since then, however, his results have fallen sharply.

A difficult spell on and off the oche

In early 2025, Van den Bergh reached the World Masters semi-finals. Along the way, he beat Michael van Gerwen in a match in which he hit a nine-darter.

Things then took a turn for the worse. In April 2025, he withdrew from a ProTour match and decided to take a two-month break.

During that period, Van den Bergh struggled with physical and mental health issues. His return at the World Cup of Darts brought little success. He and Mike De Decker were eliminated early.

He also failed to make an impression at the following World Darts Championship, losing in his opening match to debutant Darren Beveridge. There were some positive signs ahead of the most recent World Cup, but that event also ended in disappointment. Van den Bergh left early and has not won a match since. He also withdrew from several tournaments after the summer. As a result, the former major winner is now in danger of slipping outside the safe positions in the world rankings.

Q-School offers a route back

By passing up his final chances to qualify for the World Championship, Van den Bergh looks set to lose his PDC Tour Card at the end of the season. That would bring his regular place on the professional PDC circuit to an end for now, but it need not mark a permanent departure from the top level.

The Belgian can enter Q-School in early January, where players compete for a new Tour Card. It is not yet known whether Van den Bergh will take part.

Another option is the PDC Challenge Tour. The circuit is designed for players without a Tour Card and gives them a chance to work their way back to the top level.

Strong performances on the Challenge Tour can earn players entry to Players Championship events under certain conditions and even a place at the World Darts Championship. The highest-ranked players at the end of the season also earn a Tour Card.