Michael van Gerwen has reiterated that ranking tournaments are his primary focus, despite a mixed start to the Premier League Darts season. The Dutchman, who has secured one nightly win from the opening weeks, faces Luke Humphries in Berlin on Thursday night. "Of course, why would it change? I know exactly what I said," Van Gerwen told media ahead of the match. "The ranking tournaments are really important for me, but I think they're important for everyone." He added that while he feels he could have more points on the board, that's the nature of the Premier League: "I think I could have had a little bit more points, but that's the way the Premier League is. Every year it happens the same and you just need to make the most of it."
Van Gerwen does not believe his performances have dipped since his opening-night victory. "I don't think I play any worse than I did at the beginning of the Premier League," he explained. "Obviously I won the first night, but I don't think I played any better that week than I have since. Last week I played some good darts as well, but that's the way it is. I've always been really critical of myself, but sometimes you also need to accept things." To regain rhythm, the three-time world champion plans to compete in ProTour events next week: "You can only turn it around by winning games. That's why next week I'm also going to the ProTours to make sure I get some rhythm going, I think that's really important at the moment."
The Dutch star also discussed personal motivations and challenges. He revealed that having his daughter accompany him to a recent Euro Tour event was a spontaneous decision: "It was more of a last-minute thing. On Friday afternoon she said, 'Daddy, I want to come with you at the weekend.' I said yes, then we arranged it, simple as that." However, he cautioned that her presence doesn't guarantee success: "Of course it gives me motivation, but it doesn't give me any guarantees. I also lost early at the Matchplay when she was there." Van Gerwen expressed sympathy for compatriot Gian van Veen, who is recovering from kidney stone surgery: "We are human at the end of the day and things like this happen. It would be really weird if for 16 or 17 weeks in a row no one had anything. To have kidney stones removed is not a pleasant thing, but it is what it is. I've never had them, so I don't know how painful it is."
Reflecting on the Premier League's demands, Van Gerwen highlighted the pressure on players like Josh Rock during difficult runs: "It's not easy, but you need to make sure you relax a little bit more, that's easier said than done. For him it's his first year, and this is my 13th or 14th year, so I've been in both situations. You just need to deal with it. I can't change things for anyone else, it's all up to themselves." He described the competition as challenging due to its format and schedule: "It's a very short format, there's a lot of travelling and you play the top players week after week. That can be hard sometimes, especially when you don't have any points yet."
Ahead of his clash with Humphries, Van Gerwen dismissed talk about his opponent's aura: "Luke is an absolutely fantastic darts player. If someone says he's lost his aura, that's not for me to judge. I know Luke is a fantastic guy and an even better darts player. I just have to battle against him, simple as that. Whether someone is number one, 28 or 128 in the world, I don't care, you need to face them and make sure you beat everyone week after week." He affirmed that his competitive drive remains undimmed: "100%. The feeling of winning is amazing and the feeling of losing is always tough. Of course, some games you can accept better than others, but that's the way it is."
