Niko Springer Upsets Michael van Gerwen at German Darts Grand Prix

German underdog Niko Springer produced a major upset at the 2026 German Darts Grand Prix in Munich, defeating reigning champion and four-time tournament winner Michael van Gerwen 6-1 in the second round on April 5, 2026.

The match took place at the Kulturhalle Zenith, where Springer established an early 3-0 lead by capitalizing on two missed doubles from Van Gerwen in the opening leg. Springer further solidified his lead with key finishes on double 19 and double 5.

While Van Gerwen managed to secure one leg with a 15-darter, he was unable to check out 68, which allowed Springer to move within one leg of the victory. After missing his first two match darts, Springer eventually secured the win on double 20 following a failed attempt by Van Gerwen to check out 108.

Wider Tournament Upsets

The second day of the event was characterized by a significant number of seed exits. In addition to the defeat of the defending champion, the top seed Gian van Veen was also eliminated from the competition.

Reporting from the Sunday evening session indicated that ten seeded players departed the tournament in total during the second day, with six seeds falling in the afternoon session and another four exiting during the evening action.

Other notable players who advanced through tight contests during the evening session included Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, and Glen Wilson, while others like Aspinall, Rock, and Clayton also progressed.

German Talent Performances

The home crowd saw mixed results from local players. Martin Schindler, Germany’s number one, advanced to the final day by securing a 6-4 victory over Brendan Dolan. Schindler struggled early in his match, missing doubles in the first leg before leveling the score on double 8.

However, other German competitors failed to progress. Ricardo Pietreczko and Marcel Hausotter were both eliminated after narrow defeats in deciding legs.

Tournament Structure and Prizes

The 2026 German Darts Grand Prix, known for sponsorship as the 2026 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix, is the fourth of fifteen PDC European Tour events on the 2026 PDC Pro Tour. The tournament runs from April 4 to April 6, 2026.

The event features a field of 48 players. Following a general increase in prize money for PDC events in 2026, the total prize fund for this European Tour event rose to £230,000.

• Winner’s share: £35,000
• Runner-up: £15,000
• Semi-finalists: £10,000
• Quarter-finalists: £8,000
• Third round losers: £5,000
• Second round losers: £3,500
• First round losers: £2,000

The tournament format seeds the top 16 players from the two-year PDC Order of Merit into the second round, while the next 16 highest-ranked players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit qualify for the first round.