Nathan Aspinall may have landed himself in hot water following a controversial moment during his first-round match against Lourence Ilagan at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship on Friday evening.
The contest did not begin as the Englishman had hoped, and his frustration became visible in an incident that could yet have repercussions, as shown in circulating footage. The moment occurred after Ilagan claimed the opening set and celebrated enthusiastically. That celebration appeared to irritate “The Asp.” Although Aspinall initially seemed to brush it off with a smile, his body language soon suggested otherwise, with an incident shortly afterward hinting at lingering irritation.
Nathan Aspinall calling Lourence Ilagan a wanker when he left the stage
Nathan Aspinall calling his oponnent a wanker pic.twitter.com/nqcXW1Q9HM
— SportsMoments4All (@SportMoments4Al) December 21, 2025
Despite the early setback, Ilagan’s celebrations proved premature. The opening set would be the final one the Filipino player won in the tournament. Aspinall regained control of the match and went on to secure a 3–1 victory in sets, booking his place in the second round.
He did this in style with a 170 for the match while his oponnent was waiting for 120 to make it 2-2 in sets.
170 TO WIN IT! 🎣
INCREDIBLE FROM NATHAN ASPINALL!
The Asp produces a moment of magic to complete a 3-1 win over Lourence Ilagan!
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND#WCDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/gEiJUYi75Z
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 19, 2025
Friday’s matches concluded the final session of first-round play, allowing the tournament to move into the last 64 on Saturday. However, not all developments followed the standard competitive route. One player had already secured a place in the third round while several first-round matches were still ongoing.
That player was Jonny Clayton, who advanced without throwing a dart. His scheduled opponent, Dom Taylor, was suspended during the tournament after failing a drugs test. As a result, Clayton saw his prize money increase effortlessly from £25,000 to £35,000.
The consequences for Taylor are severe. In addition to his suspension, he now risks losing his prize money and, potentially, his PDC Tour Card. This situation could mark the final appearance of Taylor on the professional stage unless he manages to turn his life around. He will certainly not feature again at this World Championship, despite having won his first-round match against Oskar Lukasiak.