Jermaine Wattimena is one of the most famous faces in Dutch darts - and for good reason. With his uncompromising style, fast throwing motion and unwavering ambition, “The Machine Gun” has played his way deep into the hearts of fans and into the memories of his opponents over the course of his career. But Wattimena is more than just a dangerous opponent on the oche - he is a true fighter who always bounces back after setbacks. And in 2024, he crowned this tenacity with the greatest success of his career to date: reaching the final of the European Championship.

Jermaine Wattimena's darts journey began in 2008 - and it started with a bang. At his very first tournament, the Malta Open, he immediately secured the title. In 2009, he made it to the last 24 at the prestigious World Masters before retiring from the sport for a few years. However, he made an impressive comeback in 2014, winning the German Gold Cup against Jan Dekker. In the same year, he qualified for the 2015 PDC World Championship via the Central European Qualifier, where he only narrowly missed out in round 1.

Winning the tour card marked the start of a new era for Wattimena. In 2016, he reached his first Pro Tour semi-final and regularly qualified for the European Tour. The Dutchman also became a permanent fixture at the major tournaments: he qualified several times for the UK Open, the World Matchplay, the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship Finals. However, the big breakthrough was yet to come - instead, it was often the second or third round that ended his journey.

That was to change in 2019: Wattimena played himself into a frenzy. At the World Championships, he only lost to Gary Anderson in a gripping thriller. This was followed by the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, the semi-finals of the World Cup (alongside Michael van Gerwen), several Pro Tour finals and strong performances on the European Tour. During this phase, he moved into the top 32 in the world for the first time - a milestone.

But as is so often the case in sport: after the high came the low. From 2020 onwards, Wattimena struggled to build on his performances. Early defeats, missed opportunities and slipping down the rankings characterized the following years. But “The Machine Gun” didn't give up - and showed in 2024 that he is a force to be reckoned with again.

He came up trumps at the European Championship: victories against Peter Wright, James Wade, Luke Humphries and Danny Noppert catapulted him into the first major final of his career. Although he was beaten there by Ritchie Edhouse, the message was clear: Jermaine Wattimena is back - and better than ever.

Wattimena also proved consistently strong again at the 2025 World Championship, the UK Open and other European Tour events. His career is an example of resilience, of tirelessly striving for the next goal - in the manner of a true professional.

This is Jermaine Wattimena.
Fast. Undaunted. Never written off.