Peter Wright, the 56-year-old two-time world champion, has made it clear he is not thinking about retirement anytime soon. The Scot, who won the UK Open in Minehead in 2017, stressed that he still enjoys the game and aims to end his career with a specific number of titles. "If I can reach 55 titles before I retire, I'll be happy," Wright said. "I don't know why — I've just got that number in my head." He currently sits on 49 titles and noted that "49 is not a good number," expressing a desire to win another to make it 50.
Reflecting on his career, Wright looked back on his UK Open victory, where he beat Gerwyn Price in the final after previously losing twice to Michael van Gerwen in earlier finals. "It was nice to win the title," he remarked. Despite facing regular criticism for inconsistency in recent years, Wright said it bothers him less now, emphasizing that enjoyment plays a bigger role than results. "I enjoy my darts. I enjoy the company of my fellow dart players. I still practise every single day, so I must enjoy the game and I want to be here," he explained, adding that he has "played rubbish for the past two years" but still likes it.
Wright acknowledged that his motivation has shifted, with less pressure to prove himself compared to earlier in his career. "That's why I used to push myself and get upset when I lost games and be annoyed with myself. But I've got to think about how many players behind me, coming up through the game, have achieved what I've done. So I've just got to enjoy it while I still can," he said. He also gets less frustrated after defeats, noting that his next game might not be for another three weeks, unlike in the past when matches came more frequently.
While rankings no longer concern him — he has achieved goals like becoming world No. 1, winning the PDC World Darts Championship, the World Matchplay, the European Championship twice, and the PDC World Cup of Darts twice — Wright remains ambitious. He hopes to win the Grand Slam of Darts or the World Grand Prix before retiring, having lost in the final of the Grand Slam twice and the Grand Prix once. "If I could pick up one of them on the way out, that would be perfect," he stated. Joking about his wife's influence, he added, "It's down to the boss, she wanted me to retire five years ago. But I'm still here."
