Jonny Clayton has insisted he would have skipped the Grand Slam of Darts qualifiers altogether had he not secured his place through a remarkable return to winning ways, with the Welshman standing by his previous criticism of the qualification system despite booking his ticket to Wolverhampton.

The former Premier League champion ended a 17-month wait for a ranking title by winning the Swiss Darts Trophy earlier this month, defeating Luke Humphries in the final to guarantee his Grand Slam place. But following his 6-3 victory over Niko Springer in the opening round of the 2026 European Championship in Dortmund on Friday evening, Clayton made clear that his success in Basel had done nothing to change his opinion.

Asked during his post-match press conference, attended by DartsNews.com, whether winning the title and securing his Grand Slam place had brought additional satisfaction, Clayton replied: "Yeah, it's always good, isn't it? I don't think I was in it two years ago. So it's always a plus, but I stick to what I say. It's only my opinion, but my opinion counts for me."

And had he been left needing to qualify through the alternative route, the 52-year-old insisted he would have made very different plans. "Genuinely, I would not have been in those qualifiers. I'd have been on holiday somewhere. True story."

When pressed on whether he really would have taken that approach, Clayton offered a simple confirmation: "Yeah."

Swiss triumph puts Clayton back among the winners

Clayton secured his place at the Grand Slam on 11 October, defeating Humphries 8-4 in the Swiss Darts Trophy final in Basel. Having overcome Rob Cross, Karel Sedlacek and Gian van Veen on the final day, he claimed his fourth European Tour title and first ranking success since May 2025.

It was an important breakthrough ahead of the final months of the season, with the European Championship, Grand Slam and World Championship providing further opportunities to add to his major honours.

"To win any tournament, to win a major, to win whatever, the winning feeling is always brilliant," Clayton said. "So it's good for my confidence. It's good for this part of the year because we're coming into the business end. And yeah, I'm really looking forward to it."

His return to major action in Dortmund saw him face Springer and a German crowd hoping to inspire the youngster to a first-round upset.

Clayton held throw in the opening leg before immediately breaking his opponent, consolidating for a 3-0 advantage. Springer eventually got on the scoreboard, but a 54 checkout moved the Welshman 4-1 ahead and left the German with a considerable deficit to overturn.

Although Springer reduced the gap to 4-2 and later 5-3, Clayton never relinquished the early advantage, serving out the match for a 6-3 victory. "No, not at all, to be honest. I just felt comfortable," Clayton said when asked whether he had experienced any pressure during the contest. "I broke Niko in the second leg, I think it was, and in my head then it was just like, if I can keep my throw, obviously the game is won."

Clayton also credited his early scoring for giving him an advantage, having opened several legs with 140s and 180s that immediately put Springer under pressure. "I know he's a better player than what he played tonight," Clayton admitted. "He's one of the good guys, you know, and I had to play him and have the German crowd in there. So it was tough. I was just trying to concentrate on my game, not worry what he was doing."

The Welshman has frequently enjoyed success against German opposition, although he acknowledged the additional challenge of facing local players in front of their own supporters. On Friday, his early break and ability to protect his throw ensured the crowd never had much opportunity to influence the contest.

Springer nevertheless earned praise from Clayton, who expects the youngster to recover quickly from the disappointment. "He's got the right attitude in darts. He goes up and he plays his game. I know for a fact that he'll turn up in his next tournament and be 100% again," he said. "And that's the way a darts player should be. You give a million per cent."

"I've got a smile on my face"

Clayton arrived in Dortmund following a lengthy journey on Thursday, joking that a lie-in before his opening match had been particularly welcome. "Genuinely, like I tell you all the time, I'm relaxed. I've got a smile on my face and obviously darts go better when that happens."

Despite enjoying a strong season, the Welshman has been frustrated by his inability to turn several televised quarter-final appearances into another major final. His victory in Switzerland provided a timely lift, but he believes there is still more to come.

"My game at the right time. That's what's missing," Clayton said when asked what had prevented him from progressing further. "Because I know if I play my game, they've got something to worry about."

Even his recent near misses have done little to diminish his belief that another major title remains within reach. With the World Championship approaching, Clayton suggested that his best performances might yet be reserved for the biggest event of the season.

"I get so far and I lose in the quarters, like you say, but it's just those bits and bobs. I might be keeping it all for the World Championships hopefully. So, who knows?"

The confidence of a player who has already won the Premier League, World Grand Prix, Masters and World Cup of Darts remains evident, regardless of the difficulties he has encountered in converting promising tournament runs into more silverware.

"I don't turn up on that stage to lose games. I turn up with every belief that I can throw darts and I can win that game," Clayton insisted. "Sometimes it goes to plan, sometimes it don't. But that's the reality of the game. You know, there's 128 more players that believe the same."

His approach has not changed through the fluctuations in form, with Clayton prepared to move on quickly whenever a tournament ends in disappointment. "I'm a great believer in if it don't work today, I'll try again tomorrow, and at the moment they're going good."