Peter Wright's sporting decline has hit a new low as he drops out of the world's top 32 for the first time since 2011. At Players Championship 4, the two-time world champion suffered a first-round defeat, losing 6-4 to world number 82 Thomas Lovely. The 55-year-old Scot posted an average of 85.94 and is still waiting for his first ProTour victory of 2026, marking his fourth consecutive opening-match exit at a Players Championship event this season.
The early exits have both sporting and financial consequences. At PDC floor tournaments, prize money is only paid from the second round onwards, starting at £1,250, and Wright has not earned a single pound on the ProTour in 2026. Following his defeat, he slipped to 33rd place in the PDC Order of Merit, with Andrew Gilding overtaking him. The danger is not over yet, as rivals could pick up points in the coming weeks, potentially causing Wright to slip further before his next action.
Wright's problems extend beyond the Players Championship events, as he also failed to qualify for the first two Euro Tour events of the year, meaning he will be absent from the Poland Darts Open in Krakow this weekend. This breaks a streak since 2012 where he had always managed to qualify for Euro Tour tournaments unless voluntarily withdrawing. His next scheduled outing is at Players Championship 5 in Leicester next Tuesday, where he will hope to break the negative spiral.
The current slump contrasts sharply with parts of last season, where in 2025, Wright reached the quarter-finals at four Euro Tour events, most recently with a strong run at the German Darts Championship in October. However, since then, he went out in the second round of the World Darts Championship in December after a defeat to Arno Merk and failed to reach the main event at the Winmau World Masters, losing to Graham Hall in the last 64 of qualifying. All told, Wright has accumulated just £750 in prize money this calendar year.
Wright's impressive track record, including over six million pounds in prize money since moving to the PDC in 2004, eleven major televised tournament wins, and two world titles, offers no protection against recent setbacks in a sport where ranking money is defended over two years. If he does not quickly start winning matches and accumulating ranking money again, he risks sliding further and facing qualification issues for the big majors. The coming weeks will be crucial for 'Snakebite' as he fights to keep his place among the world's top 32.
