Jonny Clayton Falls Short at European Darts Open, Ratajski Takes Title

Jonny Clayton's European Darts Open bid ended in disappointment as Krzysztof Ratajski took home the title on Sunday, July 12, 2026.

What happened?

Ratajski defeated Jermaine Wattimena 8-6 in a nail-biting final at the Ostermann-Arena in Leverkusen, Germany. The victory marked Ratajski's first title of 2026 and his career-third European Tour title.

Why it matters for Jonny Clayton

Clayton's campaign came to an end in the Round Three stage, where he was defeated by Luke Woodhouse 5-6. Despite the setback, Clayton will look to regroup and refocus ahead of his next tournament.

What comes next?

The European Darts Open was the 10th European Tour event of 2026, with 48 players competing for the £35,000 top prize. The event saw a star-studded field, including defending champion Nathan Aspinall, Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, and James Wade.

Clayton will be hoping to bounce back from his European Darts Open defeat and make a strong showing at the upcoming Betfred World Matchplay, which takes place from July 18-26 at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The event will feature a 32-player field, including World No 1 Luke Littler, 2024 champion Luke Humphries, and three-time World Matchplay winner Van Gerwen.

The European Darts Open results saw Ratajski claim the title, while Wattimena finished as runner-up. The full results from the event are as follows:

European Darts Open results

Sunday July 12

• Final: Krzysztof Ratajski 8-6 Jermaine Wattimena
• Semi-Finals: Jermaine Wattimena 7-3 Damon Heta, Krzysztof Ratajski 7-5 Sebastian Bialecki
• Quarter-Finals: Jermaine Wattimena vs Luke Woodhouse, Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Damon Heta, Sebastian Bialecki vs James Wade, Nathan Aspinall vs Krzysztof Ratajski

Saturday July 11

• Round Two Evening Session: Stephen Bunting 4-6 Ryan Joyce, James Wade 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven, Jonny Clayton 6-1 Karel Sedlacek, Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Joe Cullen, Gian van Veen 6-3 Niko Springer, Martin Schindler 3-6 Kevin Doets, Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Mickey Mansell, Ross Smith 6-1 Niels Zonneveld

Afternoon Session: Damon Heta 6-4 Rob Owen, Jan Schmidt 6-5 Mike De Decker, Luke Woodhouse 6-0 Dragutin Horvat, Sebastian Bialecki 6-3 Danny Noppert, Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Kim Huybrechts, Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-2 Chris Dobey, Wessel Nijman 6-0 Bradley Brooks, Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 Max Hopp

Friday July 10

• Round One Evening Session: Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Samuel Price, Daryl Gurney 3-6 Maik Kuivenhoven, William O'Connor 5-6 Sebastian Bialecki, Rob Cross 3-6 Max Hopp, Joe Cullen 6-4 Charlie Manby, Kevin Doets 6-4 Dominik Gruellich, Niko Springer 6-2 Darius Labanauskas, Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Daniel Klose

Afternoon Session: Ryan Joyce 6-1 Mio Varila, Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Rhys Griffin, Dragutin Horvat 6-2 Mario Vandenbogaerde, Rob Owen 6-5 Andrew Gilding, Jan Schmidt 6-5 Cameron Menzies, Mickey Mansell 6-1 Michal Smejda, Bradley Brooks 6-2 Lukas Wenig, Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Jaimy van de Weerd

The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay will take place at the iconic Winter Gardens from July 18-26, as a 32-player field competes for the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy.