Krzysztof Ratajski walked out of the Ostermann-Arena with the 2026 European Darts Open hardware on Sunday night. The Polish veteran outlasted Jermaine Wattimena, securing an 8-6 final win to claim the £35,000 top prize in Leverkusen, Germany.
It was a grueling final session for the 48-player field. But Ratajski found another gear late in the evening. He successfully navigated the July 10-12 event timeline to take the biggest cut of the £230,000 tournament prize fund structure.
The path to the final was completely unforgiving. Ratajski had to clear out some of the sport’s heaviest hitters just to reach the main stage. That run included a 6-4 quarter-final elimination of 2025 defending champion Nathan Aspinall.
Taking down the reigning titleholder shifted the tournament’s momentum entirely in Ratajski’s favor. From there, his European Tour title win was simply a matter of execution. He matched Wattimena throw for throw before pulling away in the crucial closing legs of the final.
This victory marks the third PDC European Tour championship of Ratajski’s career. It joins his previous triumphs at the 2019 Gibraltar Darts Trophy and the 2023 German Darts Open, solidifying his status as Poland’s top darting export.
Timing is everything on the professional circuit. Ratajski now heads to Blackpool with a major trophy under his belt, finding peak form just days before the prestigious Betfred World Matchplay begins on July 18.