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Callan Rydz has confirmed his intention to continue playing darts, even though his head isn't "fully in the game". Rydz cut an emotional figure at the recent World Darts Championship, as he braved the Alexandra Palace stage despite losing his grandad midway through the tournament.

Rydz reached the third round at Ally Pally, but was eventually knocked out by Premier League ace Josh Rock. He had been vocal about the struggles of competing after losing his grandad, and the 27-year-old has admitted he has struggled to rediscover his focus following the Worlds.

Rydz was subject to some horrific social media abuse following the tournament, something he has admitted was tough to take. Commenting a couple of weeks later, Rydz revealed: "My head's not in the game fully at the moment. But once a few things are out of the way. Just trying to keep my head above the water." But he was quick to clarify his future, saying he has no plans to retire despite previously hinting he could: "I'll be playing 100 per cent. I've made my mind up on that."

Rydz went on to discuss the external pressures of being a professional sportsman in the limelight, with darts having exploded in popularity over the last few years. He explained: "The darts side is fine, but at the same time, when you lose and get people who think they deserve their money back off a bet and start mentioning family and stuff, it can be challenging not to say anything back."

Meanwhile, on the social media abuse, he said: "Sometimes, yes, but when they say, 'I hope you die and family die of cancer,' it's awful. But everyone gets it, but some deal with it better than others."

Elsewhere, the 2026 season has got up and running in recent days, firstly with the Bahrain Darts Masters, which Michael van Gerwen won, and the ongoing Saudi Arabia Darts Masters. Luke Littler, who was knocked out by Gerwyn Price in Bahrain, got back to winning ways with a thumping 6-1 victory over Paul Lim in Saudi Arabia.

Nathan Aspinall and Van Gerwen were also 6-1 winners, while the biggest shock of the inaugural Saudi Darts Masters came when Danny Noppert was defeated by Man Lok Leung. The player from Hong Kong defeated Noppert, who was snubbed for a spot in the 2026 Premier League, 6-3 at the event in the Middle East.