2025 Winmau World Masters Preview
2025 Winmau World Masters Preview
A 32-player field will fight for the coveted title over four days of action from January 30-February 2 in Milton Keynes for the redesigned 2025 Winmau World Masters, which kicks off Thursday night.
Eight players secured their spots in Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds, while the top 24 players from the PDC Order of Merit automatically advanced to the 32-player main event at Arena MK.
In an attempt to go back-to-back in Milton Keynes, 2024 Masters winner Stephen Bunting will compete in the first round over the first two evenings on Thursday and Friday.
Bunting, a semi-finalist in the World Championship, has had an incredible start to 2025, winning his first Bahrain Darts Masters and making it to back-to-back World Series of Darts finals.
William Borland of Scotland, who advanced through the Preliminary Rounds to secure his big-stage comeback, will now face the 39-year-old to begin his campaign.
“Willie is a good player. It’s going to be difficult but I need to make sure I’ll fully focused on my game,” declared Bunting, the current world number five.
“He’s had some magical moments on the big stage before – especially that nine-darter at the World Championship.
“It’s always important to start off the calendar year with really good performances.
“I won the Masters last year in my first event of 2024 and I went on to have a successful season, so I’m hoping for more of the same this year.”
Thursday’s opening round action also features world number one Luke Humphries, who is getting ready to face 2022 Masters champion Joe Cullen.
A little more than a year ago, the two engaged in a thrilling battle at the World Darts Championship, which Humphries won in a decisive leg en route to winning the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Humphries feels confident in his chances of winning the first televised ranking championship of the upcoming season in 2025, even if he gave up his World Championship title last month.
“I’ve not been at my absolute best in 2025 so far, but it was the same sort of scenario last year,” recalled the 29-year-old.
“I still managed to reel off some great tournament wins and I was in a lot of finals, so I’m feeling positive going into the Masters.
“Going into the big majors is when I’m usually at my best, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend.
“This is a newly-ranked event, so it would be a special feeling to become the first player to win it as a ranked tournament!”

Five former PDC World Champions will compete overall on Thursday’s opening night. Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, and Peter Wright will face Kevin Doets, Florian Hempel, and William O’Connor, respectively; all three have advanced past Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds.
In addition, 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and Dutch number two Danny Noppert will face off in a rematch of the 2022 UK Open final, in which Noppert prevailed 11–10.
The evening’s curtain-raiser pits Northern Ireland’s number one Josh Rock against a revitalized Jermaine Wattimena, while Australian number one Damon Heta takes on former European Champion Ross Smith.
On Friday, January 30, World Champion Luke Littler and five-time Masters champion Michael van Gerwen will conclude the first round of competition at Arena MK.
Van Gerwen will face former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks, who just earned his PDC Tour Card at Q School, while Littler will face Belgium’s former WDF Champion Andy Baetens for a spot in the round of 16.
The 24-year-old is excited about the chance to face one of the greatest players of all time after winning five straight games in Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds to secure his spot in the main draw.
“I’m over the moon,” insisted Brooks, who defeated Ian White, Cam Crabtree and Krzysztof Ratajski in Wednesday’s knockout phase.
“I was working really hard ahead of Q School, so to perform the way I did at Q School, I was really happy, but I wanted to kick on.
“I think consistently this is definitely the best I’ve played. Obviously I will be the underdog against Michael, but it’s a massive opportunity.
“I’m playing well and I’m full of confidence, so why can’t I go up there and win? I’m not scared of playing him, and I’m looking forward to it!”
Two-time World winner Gary Anderson will make his first appearance of 2025 against reigning UK Open winner Dimitri Van den Bergh in one of Friday’s most anticipated first-round matches.
Former UK Open champions Nathan Aspinall and Andrew Gilding square off for a spot in round two, Welsh number one Jonny Clayton faces Germany’s top player Martin Schindler, and 2023 Masters winner Chris Dobey faces world number 19 Ryan Searle.
In Friday’s curtain-raiser, ten-time TV title winner James Wade takes on World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker, while Dave Chisnall, a two-time runner-up at the Masters, returns to Milton Keynes against the mysterious Cameron Menzies.

2025 Winmau World Masters Preview
Draw Bracket
(1) Luke Humphries v Joe Cullen
(16) Josh Rock v Jermaine Wattimena
(8) Damon Heta v Ross Smith
(9) Gerwyn Price v Florian Hempel
(4) Rob Cross v William O’Connor
(13) Danny Noppert v Michael Smith
(5) Stephen Bunting v William Borland
(12) Peter Wright v Kevin Doets
(2) Luke Littler v Andy Baetens
(15) James Wade v Mike De Decker
(7) Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
(10) Chris Dobey v Ryan Searle
(3) Michael van Gerwen v Bradley Brooks
(14) Gary Anderson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
(6) Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies
(11) Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
2025 Winmau World Masters
Thursday January 30 (1900 GMT)
First Round x8
Josh Rock v Jermaine Wattimena
Damon Heta v Ross Smith
Rob Cross v William O’Connor
Gerwyn Price v Florian Hempel
Peter Wright v Kevin Doets
Luke Humphries v Joe Cullen
Stephen Bunting v William Borland
Danny Noppert v Michael Smith
Friday January 31 (1900 GMT)
First Round x8
James Wade v Mike De Decker
Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies
Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
Chris Dobey v Ryan Searle
Luke Littler v Andy Baetens
Michael van Gerwen v Bradley Brooks
Gary Anderson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Saturday February 1
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Second Round x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Second Round x4
Sunday February 2
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final
Format
First Round – Best of five sets, best of three legs per set
Second Round – Best of seven sets, best of three legs per set
Quarter-Finals – Best of seven sets, best of three legs per set
Semi-Finals – Best of nine sets, best of three legs per set
Final – Best of 11 sets, best of three legs per set