Monday evening produced a truly extraordinary moment on the stage of the PDC World Championship 2026—one that may be even rarer than a nine-darter.
England’s Callan Rydz was responsible for the remarkable scene, captured on video and already being widely discussed within the darts community. It came during what has been an emotionally charged tournament for the former quarter-finalist.
10 darter on D1
Unbelievable arras 🤣
— Josh (@joshpearson180) December 29, 2025
Earlier in the championship, Rydz had visibly struggled due to difficult circumstances at home. His grandfather was seriously ill, and in the days leading up to Christmas, the emotional toll on Rydz was clear to see. Following his victory over Daryl Gurney, Rydz broke down in tears and, after completing his media duties, rushed home immediately.
There, he was able to say goodbye to his grandfather, who sadly passed away shortly afterwards.
Davy Klaassen & Wout Weghorst Playing Darts With Gerwyn Price & Ross Smith
The match against Josh Rock on Monday evening therefore marked Rydz’s first appearance since that emotional farewell. The weight of the moment was evident on his face as he walked onto the Alexandra Palace stage, clearly competing while navigating a deeply personal loss.
Despite the circumstances, Rydz delivered a respectable performance, averaging 93.39 and producing the aforementioned unique moment—one that will be remembered long after the tournament concludes. However, it was not enough to seriously threaten Rock, who secured a convincing 4–1 victory. The Northern Irishman now progresses to the next round, where he will face Justin Hood.
Hood, the smallest player at this year’s World Championship, has already been one of the standout stories of the tournament. He previously eliminated Danny Noppert in one of the most entertaining matches seen so far and followed that up on Monday by defeating Ryan Meikle. Meikle managed to claim just one set and was therefore forced to exit the competition.
At the time of writing, several last-16 matches are still being played, including Luke Woodhouse versus Krzysztof Ratajski, Jonny Clayton against Andreas Harrysson, Luke Humphries versus Kevin Doets, Charlie Manby facing Gian van Veen, and a blockbuster clash between Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.
The tournament continues on Tuesday with both afternoon and evening sessions, as the race for the Sid Waddell Trophy intensifies.