It’s mad to think it’s been less than three years since Gabriel Clemens almost became the first German to reach a PDC World Championship final – only stopped in the semis by eventual champ Michael Smith. Still, history made: the German Giant remains the only man from his nation to make it that far.
That was the 2023 tournament. Fast forward to the build-up for 2026 and Clemens has dropped down the rankings faster than a Kardashian marriage. Right now, the 42-year-old isn’t even set to feature at Ally Pally this Christmas, sitting seven places outside the cut-off.
The one crumb of comfort? His tour card’s safe – for now. The cruel side of darts is simple: you win a big chunk of cash, enjoy the glory, then two years later it’s back on the line. Fail to defend it, and your ranking falls off a cliff. Just ask Gerwyn Price or Michael Smith, who know that pain all too well.
For years Clemens was Germany’s top dog, World Cup captain and the benchmark for his countrymen. His World Cup record is tidy too – two quarter-finals and two semis in just five appearances. But the darting world moves quickly, and now Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko have leapfrogged him in the rankings and subsequently taken over World Cup duties. The event isn’t ranked, so Clemens won’t lose sleep – though his national pride might need a stiff drink.
So how does he climb back up the ladder? There’s only one answer, and yes, it sounds patronising: win more matches. Pretty averages don’t cut it – victories do. As M-People once sang: Movin’ On Up. It’s the only way to ascend.
No one doubts Clemens’ ability. On his day, he’s brilliant. The issue is everyone else on tour is brilliant too – and more consistent. Too many early Players Championship exits, too few major TV appearances. He’ll be at Minehead, but beyond that his calendar looks pretty bare.
If Clemens wants another crack at the Ally Pally big time, he needs to rediscover the spark that took him to the 2023 semis. Otherwise, he risks becoming another classy operator forever filed under “nearly man.”
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
