Nathan Aspinall Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Group P Guide
On this page
- Nathan Aspinall Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Group P at a Glance
- Why Group P Is Tougher Than It Looks
- Aspinall’s Record in Major Finals
- Nathan Aspinall in 2026: High Points and Frustration
- What Aspinall Must Do to Win Group P
- The Route Beyond the Group
- What a Deep Run Would Mean for Aspinall
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Nathan Aspinall arrives in Wolverhampton as the 11th seed, and the nathan aspinall grand slam of darts 2026 campaign begins with a group that looks winnable on paper and far less comfortable in practice. He has been drawn in Group P with Karel Sedlacek and Maik Kuivenhoven, and he opens against Kuivenhoven on Saturday 14 November in the afternoon session. Only the group winner reaches the last 16.
Aspinall is a proven winner at the highest level. He won the World Matchplay in 2023 and the UK Open in 2019, two major titles that put him in a small group of players who have lifted more than one of the sport’s biggest trophies. His 2026 season has mixed a European Tour title in Munich and a World Grand Prix semi-final with a light floor schedule and a withdrawal from the final Players Championship events of the year.
Nathan Aspinall Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Group P at a Glance
Group P is headed by Aspinall as the 11th seed, and both of his opponents earned their places through strong ProTour results in 2026. Sedlacek won a Players Championship event during the year, while Kuivenhoven reached two Players Championship finals and finished high enough on the Players Championship Order of Merit to earn his place. Neither is a household name, but both have shown this year that they can beat established players.
| Player | Position in Group P | How he qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Aspinall | Seeded, seed 11 | One of the 16 seeds, ranked 11th among the qualifiers |
| Karel Sedlacek | Unseeded | Winner of a Players Championship event in 2026 |
| Maik Kuivenhoven | Unseeded | Reached two Players Championship finals in 2026 |
The group stage is a round robin, with each player facing the other two once. All group matches are best of nine legs, so the first player to five legs wins. Aspinall therefore faces Kuivenhoven in the afternoon session on Saturday 14 November, and his second group match comes on Tuesday 17 November in the evening session, against Sedlacek.
That schedule gives Aspinall a clear advantage and a clear risk. A win on Saturday would put him in control of the group, with a win over Sedlacek on Tuesday sealing top spot. A defeat on Saturday would leave him needing to beat Sedlacek simply to stay in the tournament, with no margin for error.
For a full look at how every group was drawn, see the full Grand Slam of Darts 2026 draw, and for the wider picture across all 16 groups, see the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 groups guide.
Why Group P Is Tougher Than It Looks
On paper, Group P looks like one of the more comfortable groups for a seeded player: Aspinall is the only major champion in the group. But the group stage is played over the best of nine legs, and that short format is the great leveller in darts. A lower-ranked player needs only five good legs to win a match.
Karel Sedlacek, the Czech challenger
Sedlacek is the player Aspinall will face in his second group match, on Tuesday evening, and he is a serious opponent. The Czech player won a Players Championship event during 2026, which earned his place in Wolverhampton, and he finished high enough on the Order of Merit to qualify for the Players Championship Finals as well.
Maik Kuivenhoven, the Dutchman who keeps reaching finals
Kuivenhoven is Aspinall’s first opponent. The Dutchman reached the final of Players Championship 22 in Wigan in June 2026, losing 8-5 to Rob Cross, and another Players Championship final later in the year, losing 8-2 to Charlie Manby at Players Championship 31. Two finals in a season on the ProTour is a serious achievement, and he will see the match against Aspinall as a chance to prove he belongs on the biggest stages.
Aspinall’s Record in Major Finals
Aspinall’s career is built on two major titles. His first came at the UK Open in 2019, when he beat Rob Cross 11-5 in the final, sealing the win with a 170 checkout in the final leg. He had beaten Gerwyn Price 11-9 in the semi-final, so the title was earned against top-class opposition.
His second major title came at the World Matchplay in 2023, when he beat Jonny Clayton 18-6 in the final at Blackpool, winning 13 of the last 14 legs. His run to the final included wins over Krzysztof Ratajski, Danny Noppert, Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen.
Aspinall has also reached the semi-finals of the World Championship twice, in 2019 and 2020, and he was runner-up in the Premier League in 2020. He won the US Darts Masters in 2019 and has won four European Tour titles. At the Grand Slam itself, his best result so far is a quarter-final in 2020. He has never reached the semi-finals or the final, and a deep run in 2026 would be the best Grand Slam result of his career. For past champions, see the Grand Slam of Darts winners guide.
Nathan Aspinall in 2026: High Points and Frustration
Aspinall’s 2026 season has been a year of contrasts. It started with a run to the final of the opening Players Championship event, where he lost 8-6 to James Wade, and at the World Championship he reached the third round, beating Lourence Ilagan and Leonard Gates before losing 4-3 in sets to Kevin Doets. He was also left out of the 2026 Premier League line-up, the first time he had missed the event since 2022.
The high point of his year came in Munich in April, when he won the German Darts Grand Prix, his fourth European Tour title, beating Danny Noppert 8-5 in the final with a 128 checkout and an average of 100.35. On the way he beat Kevin Doets 7-2 in the semi-final, averaging 106.40. He had won three European Tour titles in 2025, and all four of his European Tour titles have come in Germany.
The second high point came at the World Grand Prix in Leicester. Aspinall beat Doets 2-1 in sets, then Luke Woodhouse 3-0, then produced one of the best performances of his career in the quarter-finals, beating Ryan Joyce 3-0 with an average of 105.15, the third highest winning average in World Grand Prix history. That run ended in the semi-finals, where he lost 5-2 in sets to Gerwyn Price.
The frustration has come from his schedule. He played in only 13 of the first 32 Players Championship events, and he finished the ProTour season 17th on the ProTour Order of Merit with 113,500 pounds. In early November he withdrew from the final two Players Championship events, in Leicester on 4 and 5 November, ending his hopes of qualifying for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead from 27 to 29 November. Only the top 64 qualify.
What Aspinall Must Do to Win Group P
Winning Group P will come down to a good start, reliable finishing and steady scoring. The first match, against Kuivenhoven on Saturday afternoon, is the key: win it, and Aspinall controls the group; lose it, and he must beat Sedlacek on Tuesday to have a chance of topping the group.
Aspinall’s finishing will be tested in both matches, because in a race to five legs a missed double can hand a leg to an opponent who has done little to earn it. His scoring was on display in Munich, where he averaged more than 100 in the final, and at the World Grand Prix, where he averaged 105.15 against Joyce.
The Route Beyond the Group
If Aspinall wins Group P, his reward is a place in the last 16 on Thursday 19 November. The winner of Group P faces the winner of Group O, headed by sixth seed Ross Smith, the newly crowned European champion, who also faces Gabriel Clemens and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. That match is played over the best of 19 legs, so the first player to 10 legs wins, and the longer format should suit Aspinall.
The nathan aspinall grand slam of darts 2026 route is therefore a long one. He would need five wins to lift the trophy: two in the group, then the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final, with the semi-finals and final both played on Sunday 22 November over the best of 31 legs. The total prize fund is 1 million pounds, with 200,000 pounds for the winner and 100,000 pounds for the runner-up. For the full breakdown, see the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 prize money guide.
What a Deep Run Would Mean for Aspinall
A deep run would mean a great deal to Aspinall. The Grand Slam is the last major ranking event before the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in December, so a strong run would send him there with confidence and confirm that the high points of his 2026 season were real. The defending champion, Luke Littler, is chasing a third straight title and has won all 14 of his Grand Slam matches so far. It would also make up, in part, for the disappointment of missing the Players Championship Finals.
For television coverage and start times, see what channel the Grand Slam of Darts is on, and for the opening day, see the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 opening day guide. The Grand Slam of Darts 2026 predictions guide looks at the wider field, the Players Championship Finals 2026 preview covers the Minehead event Aspinall will miss, and the World Darts Championship 2027 prize money guide looks ahead to Alexandra Palace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in Nathan Aspinall’s group at the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts?
Nathan Aspinall is in Group P with Karel Sedlacek and Maik Kuivenhoven. Aspinall is the 11th seed and the seeded player in the group, while Sedlacek and Kuivenhoven are both unseeded. Only the winner of the group reaches the last 16.
When does Nathan Aspinall play his first match?
Aspinall plays his first group match on Saturday 14 November in the afternoon session, against Maik Kuivenhoven. His second group match is on Tuesday 17 November in the evening session, against Karel Sedlacek.
How did Karel Sedlacek and Maik Kuivenhoven qualify?
Sedlacek qualified by winning a Players Championship event during 2026. Kuivenhoven reached two Players Championship finals during 2026, losing 8-5 to Rob Cross in the final of Players Championship 22 in June, and 8-2 to Charlie Manby in the final of Players Championship 31.
What is Nathan Aspinall’s best result at the Grand Slam of Darts?
Aspinall’s best result at the Grand Slam so far is reaching the quarter-finals in 2020. He has never reached the semi-finals or the final of the event, so a deep run in 2026 would be the best Grand Slam result of his career.
What major titles has Nathan Aspinall won?
Aspinall has won two major televised titles. He won the UK Open in 2019, beating Rob Cross 11-5 in the final, and he won the World Matchplay in 2023, beating Jonny Clayton 18-6 in the final. He has also reached the semi-finals of the World Championship twice, in 2019 and 2020.
Why is Nathan Aspinall not playing in the Players Championship Finals?
Aspinall withdrew from the final two Players Championship events of the 2026 season, in Leicester on 4 and 5 November, ending his hopes of qualifying for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead from 27 to 29 November. Only the top 64 qualify, and he had played in only 13 of the first 32 events.
Conclusion
The nathan aspinall grand slam of darts 2026 campaign is a test of whether Aspinall can turn the high points of his year into a sustained run at a major title. Group P gives him a fair chance, but no easy match. If he wins both group matches, he will have earned his place in the last 16, and from there the longer formats should suit him. If he loses either match, his week will end early.
