Meet the Eastern European Contenders at the 2025 Poland Darts Masters

The fifth World Series event of the season gets underway this weekend, running from Friday, 4th to Saturday, 5th July at the PreZero Arena in Gliwice, Poland.

Among the 16-player line-up are eight Eastern European representatives, including six current PDC Tour Card holders and two regional qualifiers. With national pride on the line and a raucous home crowd expected, let’s take a closer look at the players flying the flag for Eastern Europe at the 2025 Poland Darts Masters.

Krzysztof Ratajski - World Number 33

Nickname: The Polish Eagle

The 48-year-old is the most recognisable player from this region and a true flagbearer for Polish and Eastern European darts. His breakthrough came in 2017 when he won the Winmau World Masters in the BDO as a qualifier. Notably, as a Challenge Tour player, he went on to win back-to-back Players Championship titles as a non-Tour Card holder, joining a very exclusive club.

Since then, Ratajski has amassed an impressive 11 PDC titles, including eight Players Championships, two European Tour victories, and a UK Open Qualifier win. He reached a career-high ranking of world number 12 in 2021, the peak of his PDC career so far.

Round 1 Opponent: Jonny Clayton

Karel Sedláček - World Number 80

Nickname: Evil Charlie

Sedláček narrowly lost his Tour Card at the end of last season but reclaimed it for the third time at Q-School in January. The leading player from Czechia, he has been a consistent presence as captain of their PDC World Cup of Darts team since 2017.

He has enjoyed a much stronger start to life back on the Pro Tour in 2025, reaching three quarter-finals and currently sitting 44th on the 2025 Order of Merit among Tour Card holders, a clear improvement in his latest campaign as a professional.

Round 1 Opponent: Luke Littler

Radek Szaganski - World Number 83

Nickname: Harp Boy

The 45-year-old Pole, now based in Cork, Ireland, has been competing in professional events since 2010 in the BDO and since 2013 in the PDC. He earned his Tour Card in 2022 and made headlines the following year by winning his maiden Players Championship title, defeating Connor Scutt in the final.

Since joining the PDC full-time, Szagański has also reached two further semi-finals and a quarter-final, marking a solid first three years on tour. However, 2025 has been a major struggle, with 15 first-round exits in 19 Players Championship events. He now finds himself at serious risk of losing his Tour Card unless he can spark a turnaround in form.

Round 1 Opponent: Nathan Aspinall

Sebastian Białecki - World Number 99

Nickname: The Bolt

At just 21 years old, Białecki has already built an impressive résumé. The young Pole has claimed six Development Tour titles, two Challenge Tour titles, and won the WDF Denmark Open back in 2022.

He made his PDC major debut at the 2021 UK Open, famously hitting a nine-darter in his opening round match at just 17 years old, before reaching the fourth round. A year later, he produced a stunning run to the quarter-finals of the same event, underlining his potential as one of Poland’s brightest young talents.

Now armed with a Tour Card for the first time, Białecki will be hoping to kick on and make his mark on the senior circuit.

Round 1 Opponent: Gerwyn Price

Tytus Kanik - World Number 133

Nickname: Tyto

Kanik is a two-time Tour Card holder, having previously competed on the Pro Tour during a two-year spell from 2018 to 2019. He regained his card in January 2025 through Q-School and continues to represent Poland at the professional level.

Remarkably, Kanik was the first Polish player to ever earn a PDC Tour Card, and has also represented Poland four times at the PDC World Cup of Darts. However, it's been a tough return to the circuit; he has earned just £5,000 in prize money so far this season and must significantly improve his consistency if he is to retain his Tour Card beyond 2026.

Round 1 Opponent: Stephen Bunting

Pero Ljubic - World Number 148

Nickname: The Croatian Knight

Ljubić had a brief taste of Pro Tour action back in 2021, but 2025 marks his first full season as a Tour Card holder, having earned his spot by finishing second on the European Q-School ranking list in January.

He recently made his PDC World Cup of Darts debut for Croatia alongside Boris Krcmar, though the pair exited in the group stage. It’s been a tough start to Tour life for Ljubić; he lost his first 15 Players Championship matches before finally picking up wins to reach a Last 64 and Last 32 in two of the last four events.

With a seasonal average of 83.21, Ljubić will need to find significant improvement if he’s to stand any chance of holding onto his Tour Card over the next 18 months.

Round 1 Opponent: Michael van Gerwen

Krzysztof Kciuk - Eastern European Qualifier #1

Nickname: The Thumb

A long-time presence on the circuit, Kciuk first appeared in the PDC back in 2009, qualifying for the World Championship. He partnered with Krzysztof Ratajski at the inaugural PDC World Cup of Darts in 2010, and has represented Poland five times in total at the event.

Kciuk has held a Tour Card on two separate occasions, losing it both times. However, he remains a respected figure in Polish darts, notably winning the Poland Championship in 2018. One of his standout moments came at the 2023 World Cup of Darts, when he and Ratajski set a world record average of 118.10 in a pairs match during the group stage against Lithuania, the highest ever recorded.

Round 1 Opponent: Rob Cross

György Jehirszki - Eastern European Qualifier #2

Nickname: Gyurka

Jehirszki is a true latecomer to the sport, having only taken up darts in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite his relatively short time in the game, he’s made remarkable progress, most recently captaining Hungary on his debut at the 2025 PDC World Cup of Darts.

He has also qualified for two European Tour events, and earlier this year hit a career-best average of 96.87 in the Austrian Darts Open qualifier, securing his spot in the main event. Jehirszki continues to rise as one of Hungary’s most promising talents.

Round 1 Opponent: Chris Dobey

Closing Thoughts

With six Tour Card holders and two dangerous qualifiers, the Eastern European contingent brings a compelling mix of experience, emerging talent, and local pride to Gliwice. Backed by a passionate home crowd, they will be looking to make their mark and cause a few upsets as the 2025 Poland Darts Masters gets underway this weekend.