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Following the conclusion of the 2020 Darts World Championships and the ushering in of the new year, we look at who really is at the top of the darting tree by compiling the top 10 darts players in the World, as of February 2020. Honorable mentions go to Daryl Gurney, Ian White, Mensur Suljović and BDO star Jim Williams, who is in brilliant form at the moment.
10. Krzysztof Ratajski
This pick may come as a surprise to casual viewers, but those who follow the PDC darts events will see some extra publicity for 'The Polish Eagle' as well deserved. Krzysztof Ratajski is a formidable foe in non-televised darts and seems the most likely of that bunch, which also includes new stars José de Sousa and Gabriel Clemens, to make the big step up and claim a major title.
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Ratajski just claimed yet another PDC event win yesterday and his consistent power scoring and unflappability will become a frustrating sight for opponents when the major tournaments start rolling along this season. Breaking into the top sixteen of the PDC rankings also seems to be inevitable, so the world of darts needs to watch out for Ratajski making his big stage impact this year.
9. Dave Chisnall
A month ago, the yellow peril would have been in the top four best players in the world, but a period of consolidation in which 'Chizzy' has begun wearing glasses has seen his form deteriorate drastically. In the first tournament post World Championships, Chisnall snuck past adversary Daryl Gurney before suffering a humiliating whitewash defeat to new World Champion Peter Wright, averaging just 0 which put his newly found fragility on display.
The St. Helens ace has no choice but to persevere however, as the glasses are essential to his future health despite proving difficult to accommodate due to headaches and unfamiliarity. He clings on to a top ten place due to the back end of last year's form and improvement in floor tournaments, as we back him to quickly return to his dynamic best.
8. Rob Cross
Rob Cross has had a difficult time since his World Championship win in 2018, but he is always a contender for major titles in the PDC. A slow start is what sees him slip down from an undoubted world top-four player to this position, with his loss to Adrian Lewis at the Masters a prime example of his struggle to pick up quickly after last year.
Arguably his most impressive quality is being one of the few players able to win major titles playing anything less than their a-game, which makes him a tricky opponent even when he is going through these patches of lack-luster form.
7. Michael Smith
The immensely talented Michael Smith is another player to slip down the list since last year. Like Rob Cross, 'Bullyboy' was eliminated in the first round of the World Championships, but unlike Cross, he has made a far better return since then.
After reaching the Masters final, where he missed darts to win the Championship, Smith made a good impact during the second night of the Premier League as he raced to a 6-2 lead over Gerwyn Price before surrendering to a 6-6 draw after a breathtaking start.
6. Glen Durrant
Three-time BDO World Champion Glen Durrant is a shoo-in for the top ten, although a rise to number six on our list is pretty unforeseen. 'Duzza' consistently makes the latter stages of major tournaments, with three semi-finals and a World Championship quarter-final to add to his accomplishments.
Probably the best finisher in the world of darts right now, Durrant has two PDC titles in floor tournaments and will look to add to that tally in 2020 ahead of the major tournaments. With possibly only half a decade left in the game before retirement, Durrant knows the clock is ticking and will want to add a major PDC title before 2021.
5. Gary Anderson
When he is at his best, he is easily the second-best player in the world and if he was to produce his best form all the time, Gary Anderson would probably even be the best player in the world. The problem at the moment is no-one is really sure where Anderson's game is currently, having produced some fantastic arrows reminding people of his two world titles in 2015 and 2016 while also struggling to maintain it at times.
It is likely that 'The Flying Scotsman' will regain his place near the top soon enough as Anderson seems very confident about the fact that he can find his range again after an injury-stricken 2019, where he had to miss some of the biggest events and didn't make any sort of impact usually associated with his ability.
4. Nathan Aspinall
A comparatively new star on the PDC circuit, Nathan Aspinall made his big impact at the 2019 World Championship when he came from seemingly nowhere to reach the semi-finals. 'The Asp' quickly proved this was no one-off, winning his first major title at the UK Open the same year before claiming a US Darts Masters title to add to his fast-growing collection.
After reaching the same stage of the World Championships this year as well, a Premier League call-up was assured and he will look to make a big impact in his debut year at the prestigious tournament. His non-televised form is similarly amazing, picking up a title last week with some shockingly high averages and remarkable consistency. His aim is to make the top four of the world rankings and he may well do so sometime next year.
3. Gerwyn Price
Big-scoring 34-year-old Welshman Gerwyn Price seems to have nothing to lose going into this year. With his form on the up and up and winning games coming easier and easier, Price will stride into upcoming major tournaments always knowing he can realistically win them and beat any opponent on the way should he perform to his usual standard.
While he hasn't yet lit up the stage in 2020 as he did in 2019, the year is young and his form so far is acceptable to keep him at the number three spot on the list. If you had shown him this list last year, he would have been disappointed to only be third, second being his definite spot, but there isn't too much of a case he could make to be any higher following the last two major tournaments.
2. Peter Wright
Newly crowned World Champion Peter Wright may have still found himself at three on this list had it not been for an impressive continuation of his form after the World Championships and the apparent rustiness of Gerwyn Price coming into the new year. When sticking to his current darts, 'Snakebite' looks deadly and his concentration has been a huge factor in winning games with ruthless efficiency.
There is still a long way to go before he can become the best player in the world of darts, given Michael van Gerwen's absolute dominance in recent times, but Wright is up to the challenge and will aim to defend his World Title in 2021 to potentially skip past 'MvG' in the world rankings come next year. For now, Wright will be content at going into major tournaments like the World Champion, but his next craving could be to reach the top all year round.
1. Michael van Gerwen
This one is obvious, for now. 'Mighty Mike' is more dominant in his sport than any other sportsman in any other respective sport and has been for half a decade now and after a month or so adapting to his new darts, he looks to be back to his ruthless best ahead of his Premier League campaign and the other early major tournaments of the year such as the UK Open.
The green machine will most definitely be the number one ranked player for a long time to come, as his closest opponents don't stop him from winning enough titles to keep a firm majority of the PDC prize money rolling into account. The fear factor that 'MvG' emits as well as the acclaim people receive when they manage to beat him in major tournaments proves he is the undisputed number one at the moment.
