Only Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright left standing as remarkable World Series Finals record continues

The tournament itself was first staged in 2015, when Michael van Gerwen edged Peter Wright 11–10 in the inaugural final. ‘Mighty Mike’ has gone on to lift the trophy five times, most recently in 2023.

Van Gerwen and Wright the ever-presents

Smith’s failure to qualify means only two players remain who have appeared at every edition of the World Series of Darts Finals: Van Gerwen and Wright. Both will once again be in the line-up when the 2025 staging takes place from 12–14 September at AFAS Live in Amsterdam.

Wright, in contrast to Van Gerwen, has never managed to win the event. Aside from that narrow defeat in 2015, he also reached the final in 2016 – only to lose once more to the Dutchman.

Behind Van Gerwen and Wright, there are four players tied on ten appearances apiece (including this year): Smith, Gerwyn Price, Simon Whitlock and Dave Chisnall. Of that quartet, only Price has lifted the title, doing so twice – in 2020 and 2022.

With the next chapter of the World Series of Darts Finals just around the corner, all eyes will be on whether Van Gerwen can extend his dominance on a stage he has so often made his own, or if Wright can finally turn consistency into silverware. What is certain, though, is that their shared longevity underlines just how difficult it is to remain at the very top level of the sport across an entire decade.