'I want to live a bit healthier... I still want to do this in 10 years' - New era of Michael van Gerwen's career begins at US Darts Masters 2025

This weekend at the 2025 US Darts Masters, Michael van Gerwen is back! The mighty Dutchman, who has been on a self enforced break from the sport over the past few weeks after his relationship with wife Daphne broke down, returns to action in New York City.

The last time Van Gerwen was in competitive action, was Night 16 of the 2025 Premier League Darts campaign, where he failed to secure a spot in the playoffs. Shortly after that, the three-time world champion revealed his struggles away from the oche.

In his statement at the time, Van Gerwen was candid. "It is with great sadness, I would like to let you know that Daphne and I have decided to end our relationship. As a result, I have withdrawn from the upcoming tournaments. I am sorry to disappoint my fans, but I am confident that they understand my choice."

As mentioned though, now he is back. Refocused, refreshed and raring to go. "I don't know if it's going to be busy, but I'm going to live by the moment because we all know where I'm coming from, what position I'm in, and I need to make sure I do the right thing for me and my kids," Van Gerwen told Online Darts from New York. "We're going to see. We all know I had a really tough period, but I also like to play darts. I need to find the right combination of things. We all need to understand."

For many, the reveal of the struggles in Van Gerwen's personal life have been clarification for the up and down form the Dutchman has shown over the last year. "I love playing darts, but one thing I love more and that's my kids," he explains.

"I want to live a bit healthier as well and I still want to do this in 10 years, so I think you need to make a sacrifice in life, it's as simple as that," adds the 36-year-old. "I will see how things go, but I'm living by the moment."