'It’s been a real struggle' - Dave Chisnall brutally honest on difficult 2025 season so far

Dave Chisnall has admitted that his 2025 campaign has been “a real struggle” so far, as the popular St Helens thrower continues his search for a first ranking title of the year.

‘Chizzy’, once a fixture in the world’s top 10, has now slipped to 12th in the PDC Order of Merit — and endured a stretch of 22 tournaments without progressing beyond the early rounds. But there were encouraging signs in Hildesheim, where he produced a nine-darter en route to the final of Players Championship 15, signalling a possible turning point in his season.

Speaking candidly in his column for Kwiff, Chisnall opened up about his mental struggles at the start of the year. “It’s been a real struggle so far, and I can’t really put my finger on why. We all make excuses about balance, getting the right schedule and the work/life balance etc. But truth be told I probably didn’t have my head in the game the first few months of the season and it showed with my results.”

Chisnall pointed to his second-round exit at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship — a painful defeat to Ricky Evans — as a moment that lingered far longer than he expected.

“The defeat to Ricky Evans – who’s a great guy by the way – really hit me harder than I cared to let on and the hangover crept into the start of this season," he admits. “I feel something of black cloud has been lifted since however, and I’m trying to channel this concept of positivity. I’ve got a bit more perspective about things and trying to lighten up a bit. You see a lot of other things going on around the world and, whilst we all to win, it’s not the end of the world if you lose a game of darts.”