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Published 2025-09-22
An Interview with Danny Noppert
Danny Noppert is one of the world's top professional darts players. Known as ‘The Freeze’, he is currently ranked 15th in the world and won the UK Open Championship in 2022.
Northerner is a proud supporter of darts in the UK, and Danny is one of four pro darts players sponsored by Northerner. Here we chat with Danny about his recent successes, how he prepares for a tournament, and his advice for young players.
You've had some great performances recently. How confident are you feeling heading into the next comp?
"I’m now back home from a pro tour, I hit a nine-dart over there, I reached a semi-final and a quarter-final. So, now I’m in a good flow and looking forward to the next big tournament coming up. Really looking forward to it. "
What are your thoughts on the UK crowd - how does it compare to a home crowd?
"I really like the UK crowd. It’s always nice to play for them. Nice people! I like the UK people. "
You’ve faced some top names in the game. Is there a particular rival you’re hoping to meet, or avoid, in this tournament?
"Most of the time, I’m really calm, but I’ve been a professional now for seven years, eight years almost. So I’m not really nervous anymore. But at the beginning of course I was more nervous than I am now. They’re all top players!"
How do you mentally prepare before stepping on stage? Any rituals or routines you stick to?
"I play with friends like Ian Pearman. I practice with him before my game if he is in the same sessions that I am. We do finishing games and scoring games, and rest in between. Most of the time, I am there three and a half hours before a match, so I have the time to prepare. Sometimes my manager makes finishing games for me."
Darts has grown massively in popularity. How do you handle the increasing attention and expectations?
"Darts is really popular at the moment, over here, in the Netherlands and Belgium. I saw the schedule for the European tours next year, we're going to Poland and more tournaments in the Netherlands and Bratislava, so we're going everywhere now!"
You won the UK Open in 2022. How special was that moment, and does it still drive you today?
"It’s been a long time already, time goes quickly! It was really special for me, not everyone can say they've won a major tournament, so it was a really proud moment. Hopefully, in the future, I can lift more titles."
What part of your game are you currently focusing on improving?
"Depends on the day! Some days I feel I need to have more time on my doubles. If I lose a game on doubles, I'm more proactive on that. And the same story on scoring."
A lot of people have taken up darts recently, any advice to young players who are interested in progressing in the sport?
"What I did was firstly play local tournaments in nearby pubs. If it goes well, then you can go to higher levels and step by step, not too quickly, play as many tournaments as you can. Not only is practising good for you, but you also need to have your own belief, and that's what darts is about. I always hear that everyone can play well at home, but you need to play matches."
What does a typical training day look like for you during the season?
"I always practice in the evening when the children are in bed. I start at 7 to 9, so 2 hours a day. I have an electronic scoring system so I can play with other people and colleagues. I can play with players around the world on the system, it's great. "
How important is physical fitness in darts today compared to when you started?
"I think it's really important, there are more tournaments every year, so we have to be fit. Like now I'm only home for a day and another tournament tomorrow, and then I'll go away again. So it's really important, I think, more important than years ago."
