Wade first took playing darts seriously at the age of 14 and won the Basingstoke Open, his first competitive event and went on to compete for England at youth level.[2] He reached the final of the British Classic in 2001 at the age of 18, losing to John Walton and the following year he won the Swiss Open.[3] Wade made his television debut at the 2003 BDO World Championship, but lost 2–3 in the first round to Dennis Harbour having missed eight darts to win the match in the fourth set.[4] In other BDO Open events during 2003, he reached the Norway Open final, Belgian Open semi-finals and Dutch Open quarter-finals.[5]
Wade hit two nine-dart finishes in the early part of 2006, but when he was defeated in the qualifiers for the Las Vegas Desert Classic he decided to give up his job as a mechanic and become a full-time darts professional.[2] The results of this were evident almost immediately as he made his major breakthrough on television during the 2006 World Matchplay in July. He sensationally reached the final, seeing off four experienced players in his first ever appearance at the Winter Gardens. Wade beat Denis Ovens in the first round 10–1, having had darts to make it a 10–0 whitewash, 2004 World Championship finalist Kevin Painter 13–9 in the second round, ending one leg with two double 20's to cause a minor controversy, and beat Chris Mason 16–4 in his quarter-final. In the semi-finals he came back from 1–5 down to beat Roland Scholten 19–17 in extra legs, as a player is required to win the match by two clear legs in the Matchplay. In the final he played Phil Taylor but despite being 8–5 up, he lost 18–11.[12][13] In the rest of 2006 in the non-televised events he reached three semi-finals and a final, before he won the Vauxhall Men's Singles by defeating Ronnie Baxter 5–3 in the final, having hit his third nine-darter of the year in the semi-finals of the event.[14]
Wade won his first matches in the PDC World Championship in 2007 by beating Warren French and Dave Ladley to reach the last 16, where Terry Jenkins was a 4–3 victor.[15] He was then awarded with the PDC's Young Player of the Year and his world ranking had climbed to number 11.[2]
He then returned to Blackpool for the World Matchplay and claimed the title – his first major televised tournament success and became the youngest player ever to win a PDC televised event in doing so.[16] His route to the title and £50,000 cheque saw him beat Wayne Jones, Dennis Priestley, Mervyn King, Adrian Lewis and Terry Jenkins in the final.[17] Although Wade's victory was nothing short of emphatic over the ever-tenacious Jenkins, many believe his semi-final victory over Lewis was one of the finest performances ever seen at the Winter Gardens. Both players averaged 101, but it was Wade's finishing, as he checked out almost 70% of his doubles, which saw him triumph 17–7.[18] His 18–7 win over Jenkins in the final saw him move up to world number three.[19] Wade also won the next PDC major tournament – the World Grand Prix in Dublin in October beating van Barneveld by 5 sets to 1 in the semi-finals and once again denying Jenkins his first major title in the final by winning 6–3.[20] These successes saw Wade being crowned the 2007 PDC Player of the Year and PDPA Players' Player of the Year.[2]
At the 2008 World Championship Wade reached the quarter-finals and was defeated 5 sets to 4 in a close encounter against John Part, who went on to win the tournament.[21] Wade made his debut in the Premier League as he was in the top four of the Order of Merit and on the opening night became the first player to defeat Taylor in the tournament's three-year history, winning the match 8 legs to 6. Taylor however exacted revenge with a 16–8 victory in the final on 26 May 2008 after Wade had defeated van Barneveld in the semi-finals.[2] Incredibly, Wade claimed his third major title in a year at the UK Open, by beating American Gary Mawson 11–7 in the final.[22] The following month, he reached the finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, losing 13–7 to Taylor.[23] Then in July he reached his third World Matchplay final in a row, losing for the second time in three years in the final to Taylor 18–9, making this the third major final loss of the year against Taylor.[24] In the defence of his World Grand Prix title he lost to Tony Eccles in the first round.[25] He returned to form to claim two Players Championship titles in the autumn and also hit his first televised nine-darter in a second round loss to Gary Anderson at the Grand Slam of Darts.[2]
Defending his Premier League title, Wade reached the final of the 2010 Premier League, where he played against Phil Taylor. Taylor won 10–8, hitting two nine-dart finishes during the match.
Wade reached another major final in 2010 at the Grand Slam, seeing both Mervyn King and Terry Jenkins squander match darts against him before Wade himself threw away an 8–0 lead against BDO player Scott Waites in the final, as Waites came back to win 16–12.
2011 season
Wade was the number two seed for the 2011 World Championship due to his World Grand Prix and Champions League Darts victories. However, Wade was beaten by world number 47 Mensur Suljović 4–2 in the second round. He got off to a poor start in the Premier League of Darts losing 8–3 to an on form Mark Webster he went on to defeat World Champion Adrian Lewis 8–6 in week 2 and then lost 8–5 to Simon Whitlock; during the match he took some stick from the Belfast crowd.[27] He regained some form in the latter weeks of the League drawing with Raymond Van Barneveld 7–7 while averaging over 100.[28] In June he won his 7th major title 2011 UK Open Darts after an 11–8 win against Wes Newton.[29] At the 2011 World Matchplay, he reached his fourth final and third against Phil Taylor. Wade beat Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis en route, before losing to Taylor in the final 18–8.
2012
Wade dropped just one set to reach the quarter-finals of the 2012 World Championship, but was then involved in two of the best games ever witnessed at the event.[30] He played John Part in the last 8 and raced into a 3–1 lead before the Canadian won three sets in a row. Wade took the game into a deciding set and the players broke each other's throws twice to require a sudden-death leg, which he managed to win by taking out 85 with Part on 40.[31] He played defending champion Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals and looked to be heading for his first PDC World final as he led 5–1. Lewis pulled a set back, before Wade had a dart at double 18 to win the match. He missed and it proved to be a pivotal moment as Lewis took the set and reeled off 10 straight legs to complete a sensational comeback 5–6. Despite the loss, Wade moved up to third in the PDC Order of Merit overtaking Gary Anderson.[32]
Wade once again gained automatic entry for the Premier League due to his Order of Merit ranking.[33] He lost his first three matches, before winning the next three and went into the final game of the season knowing a win over Raymond van Barneveld would guarantee him a spot in the play-offs.[34][35] Wade drew the match 7–7, but due to other results going his way he still qualified for the play-offs by finishing 4th in the league.[36] He played Phil Taylor in the semi-finals, against whom he suffered heavy 2–8 and 1–8 defeats during the league campaign.[34] The semi-final, however, was much closer as Wade led 4–2 in the opening stages, before the score became 6–6. Taylor then took out a 149 finish, with Wade on 57, to break and then closed out the match 8–6.[37]
Wade beat Richie Burnett, Mark Walsh, Michael van Gerwen and Terry Jenkins to reach his fifth World Matchplay final and his fourth against Phil Taylor.[38][39] Wade trailed 10–14, but hit back to 14–15 and then missed a dart at double 10 to level the game. He went on to lose 15–18, stating after the match that winning 15 legs against Taylor whilst playing "half-mast" was a good achievement and that he had never felt so happy playing darts.[40] However, during his first round defeat to Colin Osborne in the World Grand Prix, Wade appeared visibly unsettled and immediately flew back home to receive treatment for bipolar disorder, with which he was diagnosed in 2010.[41] He released a statement to thank fans for their support and did not play again until the Grand Slam of Darts,[42] where he finished third in his group following one win and two defeats.[43] After all 33 ProTour events of 2012 had been played, Wade finished 12th on the Order of Merit to qualify for the Players Championship Finals.[44] He lost to Brendan Dolan 4–6 in the first round.[45]
2013
At the 2013 World Championship, Wade beat Peter Hudson 3–0, Steve Beaton 4–2 and Vincent van der Voort 4–0 and then edged past Wes Newton 5–4 in the quarter-finals.[46] He was 1–3 down to Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals, who then hit a nine dart finish and was a double 12 away from becoming the first player to hit successive perfect legs. However, Wade won the set and then levelled the game at 3–3. Despite averaging 10 points lower than his opponent, which included hitting one 180 to van Gerwen's 14, Wade stayed in the match by taking out finishes at crucial times. But the pressure exerted on Wade eventually showed as he lost 4–6.[47] Wade's best performance of the league stage of the Premier League came in week five when he averaged 105.73 during a 7–1 win over Robert Thornton, who had not lost any of his first four matches.[48] Despite losing three matches in a row he went into the final night needing a positive result against Phil Taylor to qualify for the play-offs.[49] He managed a 6–6 draw and after other results were favourable for Wade he finished fourth in the league to play van Gerwen in the semi-finals, who he had beaten 7–4 and lost to 5–7 during the league campaign.[49] Wade uncharacteristically missed a plethora of darts at doubles, hitting just 20% during the match and, despite a brief fightback from 2–7 down, he would lose 4–8.[50]
Wade played in six of the eight UK Open Qualifiers but could not advance beyond the last 16 in any of them to finish a lowly 61st on the Order of Merit, which meant he would enter the UK Open itself in the preliminary round.[51] He had six comfortable wins to advance to the quarter-finals.[52] He played Andy Hamilton and in a tight match he lost 8–10.[53] Wade played Phil Taylor once again in the World Matchplay, this time in the semi-finals, and was beaten 12–17.[54]
On 20 August, Wade was banned by the PDC for four tournaments regarding his behavior at recent Pro Tour events. He was found to have "acted in a manner which may reasonably be considered to injure or discredit the Darts Regulation Authority or bring the game into disrepute". Wade was free to return at the German Darts Masters in September.[55] In October Wade reached the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, where he lost 5–1 to Phil Taylor, extending his winless run against Taylor to 18 matches. Taylor remarked afterwards: "James didn't click. He was gone. It's the first time I've ever seen him gone. He told me afterwards that he just gave up."[56] At the inaugural Masters Wade fought a partisan crowd to come back from 7–4 behind in the quarter-finals against Simon Whitlock to finish 91 on the bullseye in the deciding leg to win 8–7.[57] Wade, whose ranking has now dropped to world number six, stated that he wanted to prove that he should be back in the top four.[57] Early on in the semi-final his opponent Taylor threw a broken flight from the stage, with Wade then asking for it back before complaining to match officials. Wade asked the referee to forfeit the match and lost 10–1 with an average of 73.99.[58] Wade returned to win all three of his group games at the Grand Slam of Darts and then cruised past Paul Nicholson 10–1 to face Taylor yet again.[59] The meeting looked to be heading in a similar manner to Wade's recent heavy defeats as he trailed 9–2, but he then won five unanswered legs before missing three darts to reduce his deficit to only one. This was as close as he could get to Taylor and he went on to lose 16–12.[60]
2014
Wade rode his luck at the 2014 World Championship as Darren Webster missed six match darts in the first round and Andy Smith missed two in the second.[61][62] Nevertheless, Wade advanced to the quarter-finals but was comfortably beaten 5–1 by Adrian Lewis as he missed 34 darts at doubles during the match.[63] As he was outside the top four on the Order of Merit, Wade had no guarantee he would be involved in the 2014 Premier League and he did not receive a wildcard from the PDC or Sky Sports which saw him miss the event for the first time since 2007. PDC chairman Barry Hearn explained the decision was made to give Wade a rest to enable him more time to gain treatment for his health issues,[64] but Wade released a statement the following day, describing the omission as "devastating" as he was "one of the four most consistent players in 2013".[65] Wade also said he didn't ask to be left out and didn't decline an invitation, and that, with regards the reason given by Hearn that he could gain treatment for his bipolar disorder, "no medical professional has suggested I take a break".[65]
At the UK Open, Wade eliminated Michael Mansell and Kim Huybrechts, before being edged out 9–8 in the fifth round by Terry Jenkins.[66] At the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters he led world number one Michael van Gerwen 5–3, but was eliminated in a deciding leg 10–9.[67] Wade reached his first final in almost two years at the 12th Players Championship of 2014 by defeating Van Gerwen 6–4 in the semi-finals, but then lost 6–3 to Simon Whitlock.[68] Later in the month he won his first title since October 2011 by coming back from 4–1 down to beat Steve Beaton 6–4 in the final of the Gibraltar Darts Trophy, stating afterwards that the success meant more to him than of his televised wins as he was unsure if he was still capable of winning tournaments.[69] Wade could not advance to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay for the first time since 2009 as he lost in the quarters 16–10 to Whitlock.[70]
Wade's match against Robert Thornton in the second round of the World Grand Prix is regarded as the best in the tournament's history. At 1–0 up in sets, Wade opened the next with the second ever double-start nine-dart finish and threw a 156 finish in the leg after. However, he went on to lose the set and the following one, before Thornton incredibly threw the game's second nine-darter to become the first players to have thrown a perfect leg in the same match in darts history. Thornton would miss four darts to win 3–1, with the tie instead going into a deciding set which Wade took to advance to the quarter-finals.[71][72] Wade continued his run by beating Phil Taylor for the first time in a major knockout tournament and reached the final by fighting back from 3–1 down against Gary Anderson to win 4–3.[73][74] Wade paid the price for missing doubles against Michael van Gerwen including three to win both the fifth and seventh sets as he fell short of claiming a hat-trick of Grand Prix titles with a 5–3 defeat.[75] The following week, Wade won the 17th Players Championship by fighting back from 5–3 behind to beat Kim Huybrechts 6–5.[76] He was denied a weekend double 24 hours later as Van Gerwen beat him 6–2 in the final of the 18th event.[77]
Wade beat Taylor in a major event for the second time inside a month in the semi-finals of the Masters 11–9 with an average of 105.56. Wade started the final poorly, to fall 5–0, 6–1, 9–2 and 10–6 behind against Mervyn King, but incredibly King would miss a total of eight match darts, as Wade won the last five legs of the match to defeat King 11–10 and take his first major title for three years. Wade hit a 135 checkout in the last leg.[78] The comeback was later named the televised performance of the year at the PDC's annual awards dinner.[79]
2015
Wade suffered a 4–1 defeat to Stephen Bunting in the second round of the 2015 World Championship and he lost 9–6 against Andrew Gilding in the fifth round of the UK Open.[80][81] He lost in the final of the first Players Championship event 6–5 to Gary Anderson, but returned to claim the second event a day later by beating Peter Wright 6–5.[82][83] He threw a nine-dart finish in the final of the sixth event to level the scores at 2–2 with Van Gerwen, but lost 6–5 and was narrowly edged out by the same scoreline in the final of the next event this time to Wright. In both events he never had a dart for the title.[84][85] On his return to the Premier League, Wade could only win three of his 16 matches to finish seventh.[86] His second Players Championship title of the year came at the 13th event in July as he recovered from 3–1 and 5–3 down against Kim Huybrechts in the final to win 6–5.[87]
In the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, Wade ended Phil Taylor's 38 match winning streak in the event stretching back to 2007 by beating him 17–14.[88] He lost in the final for the fifth time this time 18–12 to Van Gerwen.[89] Wade played Taylor in the final of the Perth Darts Masters and lost 11–7.[90] He suffered a surprise 2–1 defeat to Mensur Suljović in the first round of the World Grand Prix.[91] In October, Wade won through to the final of the 20th Players Championship and in doing so became the second player to reach 100 quarter-finals on the Pro Tour. He lost 6–2 to Gary Anderson.[92] Wade was knocked out in the second round of the European Championship, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals.[93]
Wade failed to get to at least the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay in his 11th appearance at the event when he lost 10–5 in the opening round to Mervyn King.[99] In the inaugural staging of the Champions League of Darts, Wade was eliminated in the semi-finals 11–3 by Phil Taylor.[100] Whilst at the event Wade broke the Guinness World Records title for the most darts in the inner and outer bullseyes in one minute with 15.[101] He lost 2–1 in a deciding leg to Terry Jenkins in the first round of the World Grand Prix and 11–7 in the semi-finals of the European Championship to Van Gerwen.[102][103] Wade played in his only major final of the year at the Grand Slam, by beating Anderson 16–14, but Van Gerwen won 10 of the final 13 legs to defeat Wade 16–8.[104]
Wade suffered a poor showing in the 2018 World Championship, losing 2–3 to Keegan Brown in the first round. Wade defeated Simon Whitlock 10–8 in the first round of the Masters before losing to Michael van Gerwen 10–2 in the Quarter-Finals. Wade was not involved in the 2018 Premier League Darts for the first time since 2014. Wade ended his short stint outside the world's top 10 dart players, making good runs in European tour and players championship events away from the TV screens. Wade hit an 8th career 9-darter in a Pro-tour match against Michael Smith. Throughout the year, Wade had some really good runs on the European Tour reaching the final twice losing both to Michael van Gerwen 8–3. Late in the year, Wade clinched the 9th major tournament of his career winning the 2018 European Championship (darts) for the very first time, defeating Simon Whitlock 11–8 in the final, having already defeated Martin Schindler, Ricky Evans, Gerwyn Price and Max Hopp in the previous rounds. It was Wade's first major since 2014 and his first ranking major since 2011, propelling him back in to the world's elite top 6. Wade dedicated his title and upturn in form to his new-born son, Arthur, also stating he was "dangerous" again and that the rest of the field should "look out".
At the World Series of Darts Finals, Wade defeated debutant Ross Smith 6–3 in the first round. He then defeated hometown favorite Mensur Suljović 6–3 in the second round and Jamie Lewis 10–5 in the Quarter-Finals, continuing his excellent stretch of form. It was the first time since 2011 that Wade won 8 consecutive TV major matches. In the Semi-Finals, Wade dispatched 5-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld 11–2 in a high quality affair in which Wade averaged 100 and hit 65% of his doubles. This win stretched Wade's unbeaten TV run to 9 matches, the first time he had achieved this feat since 2008. In the Final, Wade played Michael Smith. Wade got off to a 3-leg advantage but Smith would peg him back to 5–5 before the second break. Wade would go onto break Smith in the 19th leg to serve the title out at 10–9 but he busted his score of 121, and Smith eventually came back and won the leg. In the decider, Smith missed 5 match darts and Wade sealed the title on D18. The tournament victory was Wade's second major in 7 days, and the 10th of his career. It was also Wade's first World Series Title. Wade's tournament victories sealed his place in the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts where he drew Keegan Brown, Mark Webster and Wesley Harms to comprise Group C. Wade won his opening group match, whitewashing BDO player Wesley Harms 5–0 with a 99 average. In his second group game, Wade defeated Keegan Brown 5–3, averaging 105. In doing so, Wade set a new personal record of 12 TV major wins in succession. Wade defeated Mark Webster 5–1 with a 102 average in the final group match to top the group, extending his unbeaten run to 13 matches and setting up a Round of 16 showdown with Michael Unterbuchner. Wade lost, rather surprisingly, to Michael Unterbuchner 10–6.
Wade defeated Japanese Qualifier Seigo Asada 3–2 in the second round of the 2019 World Championship, a high quality, feisty affair in which Wade came under criticism for his celebrations aimed towards Asada. Wade later apologized for his actions. In the third round, Wade would go 0–2, and 1–3 down to Keegan Brown in a hostile atmosphere before producing a remarkable 4–3 comeback win. Wade became the 7th top 10 seed to crash out before the Quarter-Final stage, losing 4–3 to Ryan Joyce in the last 16. Wade was picked for the 2019 Premier League Darts on the 10-year anniversary of him winning the event. Wade's Masters campaign began with a 10–7 victory of Gerwyn Price. He followed the win with victories over Joe Cullen in the Quarter-Finals and Peter Wright in the Semi-Finals to set up a final with Michael van Gerwen. Wade lost the final 11–5 to Van Gerwen. Wade kicked off the 2019 Premier League Darts in style with a 7–4 win over outgoing Raymond van Barneveld with a 99 average. In week 4 of the 2019 Premier League Darts he beat Michael van Gerwen 7–3 Averaging 95.65. Wade continued his excellent form at the UK Open, dismantling fellow countryman James Wilson (darts player) 10–1 in the 4th round. Wade followed up the victory with a 10–7 win over Max Hopp but was surprisingly beaten 7–10 by Ross Smith in the round of 16. In week 5 of the 2019 Premier League Darts, Wade averaged 110 in his 7–0 whitewash win over Daryl Gurney sending him to the summit of the league table. Wade hit a 9-darter in a German Darts Championship match which he lost 5–6 to Darren Webster. Wade won Players Championship 9 in Barnsley defeating the likes of Mark Webster, Christian Kist, Peter Hudson, Aaron Monk, Adrian Lewis, Scott Baker and Michael Smith in the final. The tournament victory was his first on the Players Championships since 2015 and the 12th Players Championship of his career. Wade followed the win up with another title in Barnsley the following week – Players Championship 11 – beating Michael Smith in a repeat final, 8–6. Wade made it a back-to-back double in Barnsley and 3 out of 4, winning Players Championship 12, defeating the likes of Luke Woodhouse, Christian Kist, Ted Evetts, Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, Michael Smith and Jeffrey de Zwaan in the final. The title was Wade's 34th in the PDC. Wade made the Semi-finals of the Premier League for the first time since 2013, defeating Rob Cross 8–6 on the final night of the league stage season, finishing 3rd on the table. Wade would go on to lose 10–5 to Rob Cross the following week in the Semi-Finals at The O2. Wade won a 4th Players Championship title of the year at Wigan, PC 18, defeating the likes of Benito van de Pas, Yordi Meeuwisse, Keegan Brown, Rowby-John Rodriguez, Callan Rydz, Krzysztof Ratajski, and José de Sousa in the final. Wade's 4 PDC titles in one calendar year equalled a personal record set back in 2009.
Wade began the new decade with a whitewash win over Ritchie Edhouse in the 2020 World Championship, after which he was eliminated 4–2 by Steve Beaton in the third round. Wade performed well at the inaugural PDC Summer Series, defeating the likes of Jeffrey de Zwaan, Nathan Aspinall, Michael Smith, and Rob Cross, en route to winning Players Championship 12 of the year. James made the final of the European Championship, losing 11–4 to world champion Peter Wright. Wade defeated Damon Heta with a 102 average in his opening group stage match at the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts and beat both Jermaine Wattimena and Glen Durrant in his other group stage matches to top his group. In the last 16, Wade defeated fellow countryman Ian White 10–4, before again seeing off Damon Heta in the quarter-finals 16–13, with another 102 average. In the semi-finals, Wade failed to secure a lead over Dimitri van den Bergh for the entire match before producing a thrilling comeback from 5–9 and 12–14 down, to eventually seal a 16–15 victory. Wade lost to debutant Jose de Sousa in the final, 16–12.[107]
2021
Wade opened his 2021 World Championship campaign with a comfortable 3–0 win against Callan Rydz in the second round. In the third round, he hit his 3rd televised 9 darter, and the first at the World Championship for five years. Despite the feat, he went on to lose the match 4–2 to Stephen Bunting. Wade made his first final at the UK Open since winning the event a decade earlier in 2011, defeating the likes of Ryan Joyce, Rob Cross, Gabriel Clemens, Simon Whitlock and world champion Gerwyn Price en route. Wade won his 3rd UK Open title of his career defeating Luke Humphries in the final. The title was Wade's 11th major of his career, becoming only the second player in PDC history to win major titles in 3 different decades after Phil Taylor. The title also ensured Wade's return to the top 4 on the Order of Merit for the first time in 9 years. Wade was originally left out of the 2021 Premier League Darts but ended up replacing Gerwyn Price who tested positive for coronavirus on opening night and subsequently pulled out of the tournament. Wade failed to win any of his 3 opening matches of the Premier League before beating Michael van Gerwen 7–3 on night 4. Wade's form improved in the second week of the tournament, hitting 3 consecutive 105 averages in defeating the likes of Peter Wright and Jonny Clayton. Wade ultimately finished 6th in the Premier League, defeating Gary Anderson on the final night of the league stage. Wade participated in the World Cup of Darts for the first time since 2010 because he was the top ranked darts player in England for the first time in his career, appearing alongside Dave Chisnall. England reached the semi-finals of the 2021 PDC World Cup of Darts where they were beaten by Austria. Wade started his 2021 World Grand Prix campaign with a 2–1 sets victory over Australian debutant Damon Heta. Wade fell at the second round hurdle, losing to Stephen Bunting 1–3.
At the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts, Wade hit a 113 average in a group stage match against countryman Rob Cross, winning 5–2 and securing his passage to the round of 16. It was the 9th consecutive year Wade advanced past the Group Stages & on to the knockout phase of the tournament. Wade defeated Rowby-John Rodriguez 10–2 in the last 16 and Rob Cross 16–14 in the Quarter-Finals. Wade lost to the eventual champion Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals 16–9. Wade reached the last 16 at the 2021 Players Championship Finals where he was beaten 10–7 by Daryl Gurney.
2022
Wade in 2022
Wade began his 2022 World Championship campaign with a 3–1 second round win against Maik Kuivenhoven. Wade would go on to reach the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2013, defeating the likes of Martijn Kleermaker and Mervyn King before losing to Michael Smith 6–3. Wade contested his 12th Premier League Darts season in 2022, the 3rd most appearances in the event behind only Phil Taylor & Raymond van Barneveld. Wade took down Gerwyn Price 6–3 on opening night in Cardiff before losing 4–6 to Jonny Clayton. Wade hit the fourth televised 9-darter of his career in a UK Open match against Boris Krcmar, where he went on to reach the Quarter-Finals losing out to Keane Barry 10–4. Wade reached 3 consecutive Premier League Darts finals, winning Night 12 with victories over Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price & Joe Cullen. Wade reached the Semi-Finals of the 2022 European Darts Open, but he was forced to withdraw from the event due to an illness.[108] It was later announced via his Twitter account that he was taken to a hospital in Leverkusen, where he was tested for symptoms which included a racing heart, high blood pressure, nausea and dizziness.[109] Wade took part in the first ever PDC tournament held in New York at Madison Square Garden for the 2022 US Darts Masters, winning his opening round match 6–2 against Canadian Jeff Smith, before losing to Michael van Gerwen in the Quarter-Finals. Wade won the final Players Championship event of the year, defeating Steve Beaton 8–6 in the final.
Wade surprisingly suffered another early exit at the 2024 World Championship, once again falling in the second round, this time losing 3–2 to Matt Campbell.
In the fourth round of the 2024 UK Open, Wade was drawn against World Championship finalist Luke Littler. Littler defeated Wade 10–7.[110]
After barely qualifying for the tournament, securing the last Pro Tour qualifier spot at the last Players Championship round before the event,[111] Wade made a sensational effort at the 2024 World Matchplay. He defeated Danny Noppert 10-5 in the first round, followed by an 11–8 victory against Nathan Aspinall in the second. The quarter-finals saw him victorious against fellow Englishman Ross Smith 16–10, only succumbing to eventual winner and world number one Luke Humphries 17–10 in the semi-finals.
Stagenames
Whilst it is somewhat traditional for a darts player to adopt a sobriquet, Wade has adopted several in his career so far. His first nickname, The Gladiator, was used during his breakthrough year of 2006. His nickname was changed following his nine-dart exploits that year to 009 – a take on James Bond's 007. The 009 nickname was used from December 2006 to October 2007.
In November 2007, during the 2007 Grand Slam of Darts – Wade introduced himself on a television promo as having "no nickname". In December 2007, following a competition which invited fans to provide him with a new nickname, Wade briefly became known as Spectacular, a play on the fact that Wade is one of the few players who wears spectacles when he plays. He was briefly known as The Wingman. He cited his dislike for the insinuations the name lead to and fans asking him to make social appearances after matches. For his Premier League debut in January 2008, Wade unveiled another nickname – The Machine, which he has used ever since.
Nine-dart finishes
He became the first player to hit three tournament nine-dart finishes in a calendar year during 2006. They came at the North-West UK Open Regional Final in March, the PDPA Players Championship at Hayling Island in June and he completed his hat-trick at the Vauxhall Men's Open in November. None of these achievements were in televised competitions.
Wade came within one dart of achieving the first ever nine-darter with a double start at the 2007 World Grand Prix in Dublin. In the semi-final against van Barneveld he hit double top to open the leg, then six treble 20s, treble 17 then missed a bullseye for a unique nine-darter.
On 20 November 2008, Wade completed his first live nine-darter hitting two 180s then T20, T19 and D12 against Gary Anderson in the second round of the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts which was shown on ITV4. However, Anderson went on to win the match 10–8, therefore Wade became the first man to hit a nine-dart finish in a major televised tournament in the UK and then go on to lose the match. (Michael van Gerwen had previously done so in a tournament on Dutch television.) Wade was also the first left-handed player to hit a live nine-darter.
In October 2014, at the World Grand Prix against Robert Thornton, Wade hit scores of 160, 180 and 161 to become the second ever player to throw a double-start nine darter. Later in the match Thornton repeated the feat with the pair becoming the first players to both throw nine darters in the same match in the history of darts.[71] Wade remains the only PDC player to achieve a televised 9 darter for double start and open start formats.
Wade quit his job at a garage in Aldershot twelve days before the start of the 2006 World Matchplay, becoming a full-time professional darts player.[112]
Wade dated Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain from 2008 to 2010, but they split after roughly two years together.[citation needed] On 8 August 2015, Wade married model Sammi Marsh who he has been in a relationship with since 2013. Marsh worked for the PDC as a "walk-on" girl and often accompanied Wade during his entrance. She is now Wade's manager.
In 2012, Wade, together with the seven other players who competed in the Premier League recorded a charity single with Chas Hodges and his band called 'Got My Tickets for the Darts' which was written by Chas. It was released on 18 May, the night after the play-offs at the O2 in London, where it was premiered. Proceeds from the single were donated to the Haven House Children's Hospice.[113] On 8 October 2018, Wade's wife Sammi Marsh gave birth to a baby boy who they named Arthur. They reside in Surrey.
Wade has bipolar disorder and ADHD,[114] and has openly spoken about his experiences with mental health.[115][116] He has been an ambassador for Bipolar UK since 2016, wearing the charity's logo on his darts shirts,[117] and has participated in fundraisers for them.[118]
Philip Douglas Taylor is an English former professional darts player. Nicknamed "The Power", he dominated darts across three decades and is widely considered the greatest darts player of all time, having won 214 professional tournaments, including a record 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships. In 2015, the BBC rated Taylor among the ten greatest British sportsmen of the last 35 years.
Raymond van Barneveld is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Nicknamed "Barney", although originally known as "The Man", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest darts players of all time. Van Barneveld is a five-time World Darts Champion, a two-time UK Open Champion and a former winner of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Premier League. He is also a twice-winner of the World Masters and the World Darts Trophy, and a three-time winner of the International Darts League, the Dutch Open and the WDF World Cup Singles event.
Mervyn King is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments. Nicknamed The King, he has reached seven PDC major finals and reached a peak of No. 4 in the PDC Order of Merit. He also won the 2004 Winmau World Masters and is a former BDO World No. 1 during 2000 and 2005.
Jelle Klaasen, nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship, aged 21 at the time. He also is a Dutch Open champion.
Vincent van der Voort is a Dutch professional darts player on the PDC circuit. As of the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, his nickname is the "Dutch Destroyer", although he used to go by "Grease Lightning". He is best known for his quick throwing style, which is how he got his temporary nickname "The Fastest Player in the World". He reached the final of the 2007 UK Open, which helped him become a well known face in the world of darts.
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player who formerly played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is a two-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2011 and 2012. Lewis also won the European Championship in 2013 and the UK Open in 2014.
Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently the World No. 3, having been the World No. 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2017 and 2019. Van Gerwen is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Andrew Hamilton, nicknamed The Hammer, is an English professional darts player.
Darren Michael Webster is an English darts player who is nicknamed Demolition Man.
Terry Jenkins is an English former professional darts player who was nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the name "Tucker" for his matches. He reached number three in the world rankings and was a runner-up in nine major PDC televised finals, those being the 2006 and 2007 World Grand Prix, 2007 Premier League, 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic, 2007 and 2009 World Matchplay, 2008 Grand Slam of Darts, 2014 UK Open and 2014 European Championship.
Gary James Grant Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player who plays Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently the World No. 14, having reached a peak of PDC World No. 2 from 2015 to 2016. Nicknamed "The Flying Scotsman", after the famous steam train, he is a former BDO and WDF world number one, and a two-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2015 and 2016. He is regarded as one of the best darts players of all time.
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches. His walk-on music is "Down Under" by Men at Work.
Robert Thornton is a Scottish professional darts player, who is a two-time World Seniors champion.
Mensur Suljović is a Serbian-Austrian professional darts player. He plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, having previously played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO).
Stephen Bunting is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events, where he is currently the World No. 8.
Paul Michael Nicholson is an English former professional darts player who played in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He won a major event, the 2010 Players Championship Finals, where he defeated Mervyn King in the final. He was also the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 2011 Championship League Darts, and part of the Australia team which lost a sudden death shoot-out to England in the 2012 PDC World Cup of Darts final.
David Chisnall is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently the World No. 6.
Peter Stuart Wright is a Scottish professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Nicknamed "Snakebite", he is a two-time world champion, having won the PDC World Darts Championship in 2020 and 2022. He also won the World Matchplay in 2021 and was the PDC World No. 1 on two occasions in 2022.
Justin Pipe is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was a former top 10 player.
Michael Smith is an English professional darts player. Nicknamed "Bully Boy", he plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently the World No. 2, having been the World No. 1 during the 2023 season. He is a former world champion, having won the 2023 World Championship.
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(24 November 2024) [1] 
