Ryan Joyce, the 39-year-old English darts player, reached a significant milestone last year by breaking into the top 32 of the world rankings for the first time in his career. His rise in the rankings was partly due to a strong performance at the World Grand Prix, where he made it to the semifinals, and his run to the last 16 at the Grand Slam of Darts. Currently ranked 29th, Joyce feels that his career has more potential and that he is capable of achieving even greater things.
Reflecting on his career, Joyce admitted that he believes he should have progressed further by now. “I’ve been very lazy, very complacent,” he confessed in an interview with Mirror Sport. “I’ve been very comfortable in the position I’m in. It’s been hard to motivate myself, to push myself further. I’ve struggled with that for a few years now.” Joyce explained that, for a time, he was content with his position in the rankings, making a decent living without putting in the level of effort that the top players do. “I’m in that position between 40 and 32, I’m making £100,000 a year without practising very hard, without travelling to European Tour events,” he said, adding that in his mind, that was enough.
A lack of self-confidence has also been an issue for Joyce. However, advice from former Premier League Darts winner Glen Durrant has helped reignite his desire to improve. “Since I had a chat with Duzza [Durrant], I’ve got that desire back, because I’d lost it a little bit,” Joyce explained. “I had fallen out of love with it a little bit and was thinking, ‘I’m never going to be any better than what I am, I’m not going to get in the top 32, I’m not good enough.’ But he’s given me an extra bit of belief and made me realise I actually am good at darts and that I can do better.”
Now with renewed confidence, Joyce is determined to push himself further. “Before I get too old and too unfit, I’m going to really try and push myself and see how far I can actually go,” he said. He has sought advice from not only Durrant but also fitness coaches and dieticians to improve his overall performance. “This next 12 months is going to be huge for me,” Joyce added. “I’m going to try and sort things out and make sure my mindset is right for being a top player in this sport.”
Related News
Acknowledging that talent alone isn’t enough to reach the top, Joyce is committed to putting in the hard work necessary to reach his full potential. “In any sport, you get out of it what you put in and I’m going to hammer the practice board,” he said. “Talent can take you so far, but if you want to be the best, you’ve got to put the hard work in. I feel like I haven’t done that as much as I should have.”
Despite this renewed focus, Joyce recently suffered a setback, failing to qualify for the main stage of the Winmau World Masters. In the penultimate round of the qualifying tournament, he was defeated 2-0 by Florian Hempel. This defeat serves as a reminder that while Joyce is determined to improve, there is still work to be done.
