Danny Noppert has spoken out after revealing abusive Instagram messages sent to him following his 6-3 defeat to Sebastian Bialecki at the European Darts Open in Leverkusen. The Dutchman, one of the leading players on the PDC circuit, said the abuse crossed a line by targeting both gambling losses and the death of his mother.
Warning: some readers may find the details in this article distressing.
Noppert’s defeat came in the second round, a result that would normally be treated as part of a busy darts season rather than a story in itself. But what followed on social media turned the focus away from the board and onto the kind of abuse professional players can face after a loss.
Noppert: “I always strive for the best”
After posting the messages on Instagram, Noppert made clear that he understands defeat is part of the sport, but not the hostile reaction that can come with it.
“I always strive for the best and always want to win. Unfortunately that doesn't always work out,” he said.
That is the reality for every top player. Results go up and down. What should never follow is abuse aimed at someone’s family or personal grief.
Noppert also referenced the messages from people angry about gambling losses, saying: “And sometimes there are those crazy ones who lost money gambling and think they should leave a message.”
It is a blunt reminder that the pressure around darts does not always stay inside the arena. For players at this level, social media has become another place where disappointment can spill over into something much more unpleasant.
A deeply personal attack
The most distressing part of the message, however, was the reference to Noppert’s mother. He said: “And unfortunately I have indeed lost my mother to cancer. And that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
That is what makes this incident stand out beyond a routine match result. Noppert did not just receive criticism about his performance. He was confronted with abuse that reached into a private loss that will always remain part of his life.
At the European Darts Open, the scoreline was 6-3 to Sebastian Bialecki. But the wider story is not about one defeat alone. It is about the abuse that can follow elite sport, even after a result that should simply be part of the normal rhythm of competition.
For Noppert, the match in Leverkusen will be remembered for what came after it as much as for what happened during it. And for darts more broadly, it is another reminder that players may need far more protection from the online fallout that can follow every missed finish and every lost game.
