Michael van Gerwen could hit new 14-year low at the World Grand Prix as nightmare 2026 continues

Michael van Gerwen felt "absolutely sick" following a shock first-round exit to Daryl Gurney at the World Series of Darts Finals - and things could get even worse for the 'Green Machine'.

Van Gerwen entered the World Series of Darts Finals as the defending champion, but exited the tournament with a 6-5 defeat to Gurney after blowing six match darts.

A crushing defeat in Amsterdam summed up what has been a terrible year for the three-time world champion, marking the second time he had been beaten in the opening round of the tournament in his career - and the first since 2018.

READ NEXT: Phil Taylor called for drastic rule change to protect Luke Littler from boos before Dutch boycott threat

The last time Michael van Gerwen dropped out of the world’s top 10

Van Gerwen has experienced a sad decline in 2026. The Dutchman has won just three titles this year - two in the World Series of Darts and the other in a Players Championship event.

In fact, the only time he reached the final of a major tournament was at the World Cup of Darts, where he and Gian van Veen lost in the final to England's Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.

A first-round exit at the World Series of Darts Finals only highlighted his alarming drop-off. Van Gerwen was once the dominant force in the sport, most notably between 2014 and 2021 when he was the PDC world number one for over 2,500 consecutive days.

The 37-year-old is performing far below the level that enabled him to win more than 40 major titles, including three World Championships, as his crushing defeat to Gurney saw him drop down to 10th in the PDC Order of Merit.

Worryingly, if the 'Green Machine' suffers another early exit at the World Grand Prix against Ryan Joyce, he could drop out of the world's top 10 for the first time since 2012.

A place outside of the top 10 was a ranking he held before reaching his first world final against Phil Taylor, who broke the Dutchman's heart with a 7-4 victory.

Van Gerwen then recovered from that crushing blow to beat Peter Wright in the 2014 final, which cemented his place as world number one in January 2014.

READ NEXT: Stephen Bunting suggests new punishment for whistling darts fans after Luke Littler boycott threat

Michael van Gerwen in danger of dropping out of the Premier League

When he plays Joyce at Leicester's Mattioli Arena on Monday (September 28), the Dutchman will know there is more at stake than just avoiding another humiliating exit.

There is a chance that Van Gerwen could drop out of the world's top 16, depending on how Stephen Bunting, Wessel Nijman, Ryan Searle, Ross Smith, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall perform.

The six-time World Grand Prix winner is hanging onto 10th place in the rankings by the skin of his teeth, as Bunting is only £8,750 behind him in prize money.

Bunting begins his tournament against Andrew Gilding on Tuesday (September 29), and victory for him, coupled with a defeat for Van Gerwen, would move him up at least a place.

It's arguably a make-or-break couple of months for the 'Green Machine', who could miss out on a place in the 2027 Premier League if his form doesn't improve between now and January.

Van Gerwen has been ever-present at the tournament since 2013, and it would be weird to see him miss out. Though, on the evidence of his recent form, he cannot say it wouldn't be deserved.