Ricky Evans’ lightning-fast throw has earned him the title of the world’s quickest player, and now his run at the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts is gathering serious pace.
The 35-year-old speedster booked his place in his first ever Sky Sports televised major quarterfinal after edging Luke Woodhouse 10-9 in a dramatic last-leg shootout.
The result marks one of Evans’ finest career performances, having only previously reached the quarterfinal stage on two occasions. His victory also propels him up to 40th in the PDC Order of Merit, a testament to his persistence and talent despite often flying under the radar.
A Superstition and a Sock Crisis
Still reeling from the thrill of victory, Evans admitted one of his quirky superstitions almost derailed his pre-match routine. Having not expected to stay in Wolverhampton this long, he found himself dashing to the shops rather than practising.
“I put my socks on before me boxes. I had to buy new boxes of socks this week, by the way. I didn’t expect to be here that long.”
The Soundtrack Behind the Speed
Beyond darts, Evans’ other great passion is music, something that he says heavily influences his performance. His pre-match playlists are as unpredictable as his throwing rhythm, spanning an extraordinary range of genres and eras.
“I’ve just got weird little things; I listen to the same kind of music.”
“If you tell me a band, there’s a song on there from that band.”
“My genre is everything from Elvis to Showaddywaddy, Taylor Swift to Dirk’s [Van Duijvenbode] kind of music.”
“I can go nuts; I can go absolutely nuts; I just love music.”
Music Trivia Master
So deep runs his musical obsession that Evans even claims darts isn’t his best skill, music trivia is. Backstage, he’s known to test himself and his peers, confident no one can beat him.
“There’s not one person on this tour that’s got better quiz knowledge than me on music. It’s true.”
That confidence even extends to taking a cheeky swipe at rising talent Cam Crabtree, nicknamed “Shazam”, whom Evans believes doesn’t quite live up to the title.
“I heard someone say yesterday Cam Crabtree’s called Shazam. He doesn’t know what the sixties, seventies and eighties music was.”
One player who does earn Evans’ respect in the music department is fan favourite Stephen Bunting, known for his walk-on to Sia’s Titanium.
“Stephen Bunting is probably the only closest to me.”
Bullseye? Not Quite…
Given his musical flair and love for entertainment, Evans might seem a perfect fit for Bullseye, the classic darts-meets-quiz show recently revived on TV with Freddy Flintoff and Luke Littler. But when asked if he’d ever approach the show’s producers, Evans laughed off the idea.
“I don’t think they’d let me play, but I could be the darts player.”
With his quick-fire throws, sharp wit, and encyclopaedic knowledge of music, Evans continues to prove there’s far more to him than just speed, and his latest run at the Grand Slam might just be the start of something special.
