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The bitter end for darts legend Phil Taylor

24/10/2024

Translation: machine translated

After his switch to the Seniors Tour, darts legend Phil "The Power" Taylor wanted to play his very last tournament at the World Seniors Masters in November. However, he has now had to cancel due to ill health.

All good things come to an end. After his official retirement from the professional tour, darts legend Phil "The Power" Taylor switched to the Seniors Tour and still played in tournaments there. However, this chapter is now also over early. The 64-year-old had already announced the definitive end of his career at the end of the 2024 season last autumn. His last tournament was to be the World Seniors Masters on 8 and 9 November. However, ongoing health problems mean he will not be able to take part.

Painful arthritis

In June, Taylor had to undergo surgery on his hip due to an arthritis condition and has apparently not recovered in time. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints. It can affect any joint. "The arthritis in my hip means I can't turn or lean to the right, so I can't throw straight. I don't know why, but all my darts end up in the five because of it."

On his recovery from surgery, Taylor recently told Online Darts: "Everything was going well, but then I just did a bit too much and apparently my scar tissue tore. So yeah, it's a bit painful." He is still at 100 per cent mentally, but his body is no longer able to cope at his age. He is in pain every day.

He also revealed: "It's the worst pain I've had in the last 12 months. To be honest, I'll be glad when this year is over." Everything is fine in training, but after a few hours of playing, the pain in his hip is unbearable,

A career full of superlatives

Phil Taylor has shaped the sport of darts like no other. His dominance was so overwhelming that he often seemed to be the only player competing against an entire field. His 16 World Championship titles, six Premier League Darts titles and numerous Major tournament victories are just some of the impressive numbers that adorn his career. With 85 major victories, he is still the undisputed record holder, followed by Michael van Gerwen with 50 titles and Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade with eleven titles.

Taylor was more than just an athlete: he was and is an icon who inspired generations of darts players. His final career end is a bittersweet farewell for all darts fans. In February of this year, he ruled out a move to the Sky Sports commentary booth for PDC events.