A wave of withdrawals has hit the Austrian Darts Open 2026, with five top stars pulling out of Euro Tour 6 in Vienna. The withdrawals include Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, and Gary Anderson. This has opened up direct entry spots for several players, most notably Raymond van Barneveld and Ricardo Pietreczko, who benefit from the unexpected opportunity.
Raymond van Barneveld, the 58-year-old Dutch darts legend currently ranked world number 37, has been granted direct entry to the tournament. Van Barneveld has faced a difficult phase in his career, with early eliminations at almost every tournament making it hard to regain form and confidence. He recently split with his manager Ben de Kok, a move analyzed by Vincent van der Voort on the podcast Darts Draait Door as a definitive break. Despite these challenges, this direct placement offers a glimmer of hope for fans to see him back on stage. For Euro Tour 5, the European Darts Grand Prix, Van Barneveld still needs to qualify via a qualifying tournament, making his Vienna entry all the more valuable.
Other players benefiting from the open spots include Kevin Doets, Peter Wright, Ricardo Pietreczko, and Mike De Decker. Additionally, Jermaine Wattimena and Mike De Decker have been bumped up to a seed due to the withdrawals. The focus for Van Barneveld in Vienna will be on showing rhythm, confidence, and passion again in the game that once took him to the top of the world.
