An up-and-coming Derbyshire darts player is preparing for an ‘incredible experience’ when he makes his TV debut - taking on a three-time world champion on Sky Sports this weekend.

Henry Coates is set to make his first appearance at a televised darts major this weekend - when he comes up against Michael Van Gerwen at the Grand Slam in Wolverhampton.

The 20-year-old, who is from Matlock and whose Dad runs E W Coates Butchers at Darley Dale, said that winning a title and qualifying for a major tournament was not something that he expected to achieve at the start of 2026.

Henry said: “At the start of the year, I just wanted to get high enough on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit to get a go on the Pro Tour. I never planned to win a Pro Tour title - as well as getting to another semi-final, and now I’ve qualified for the Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals. I’ve not played badly throughout the year, and it’s my best year on record so far.”

Henry secured qualification for the Grand Slam by becoming only the fifth player to win a Pro Tour title without holding a professional tour card - having appeared in the event as a top-up player based on his performances on the secondary Challenge Tour.

He explained how, after coming through a tough opening game, he beat seven-time major finalist Mervyn King and former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks on the way to a thrilling final against the current world number 21, and previous World Cup of Darts winner, Damon Heta.

He said: “I started off playing Filip Bereza from Poland. It was one of those games that could have gone either way, but I managed to win. You’re always playing against good players on the Pro Tour, but something just clicked and I ended up playing well all day. I beat Christian Kist 6-0 in the quarter final, and then I played Jeffrey de Graaf in the semi final and beat him too.

“In the final against Damon Heta, we were at 4-4 and both averaging around 120, which in darts is incredible after eight legs - and I then won the last four legs in a row to win the final.”

Henry said he would make sure to enjoy the amazing opportunity to play Michael Van Gerwen at a televised tournament - who has won a colossal 48 singles majors over the course of his career.

He said: “During the years when I started playing proper competitive darts, Michael Van Gerwen was at the very top of his game. I’m going to enjoy the experience, and if I end up winning, it’s a bonus. To just have that experience against a top professional like him is incredible.”

As a result of his performances this year, Henry has also qualified for another TV major - the Players Championship Finals - as the 64th seed. His reward is a difficult first round clash against top seed Wessel Nijman - but Henry said it was a challenge that he would embrace.

He said: “Wessel is there for a reason, it’s always going to be a tough game. I’ve just got to try and play my game and see what happens. On the last day of the Players Championships, I needed about eight people to lose for me to qualify for the Finals, and that ended up happening. I wouldn’t say it was lucky, because I deserve to be in there, but it’s now a free hit for me.”

Henry also currently occupies the final Pro Tour Order of Merit qualification spot for the World Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace. Unless Ricky Evans reaches the quarter final of the Grand Slam, Henry will cap a remarkable 2026 with an appearance at the biggest tournament in darts - which he said would be the realisation of a childhood dream.

Henry said: “That would be a dream come true. It’s the place that you always want to play when you’re growing up. It’s nice to appear at the Grand Slam, but to play on probably the biggest stage in darts would be even better.”

Although there is plenty of darting action to come between now and the end of the year, Henry is also looking ahead to Q-School in January. This qualifying tournament offers darts players the chance to win a two-year PDC Tour Card - and the chance to compete alongside the world’s best on a regular basis.

He added: “If I end up going to Q-School again, what happens there can change and determine your path for the next two years. If it doesn’t happen, I could still do the same as I’ve done this year. Hopefully, I’ll push on from this year and do the same at least in 2027. There’s a lot of quality players that haven’t got their tour card, and if you put in the hard work, you can still earn your living from it.”

Henry will take on Michael Van Gerwen at approximately 8.15pm on Saturday, November 14 - with the Grand Slam being broadcast live on Sky Sports. If he wins his opening match, he will play his final group stage match against Jeffrey de Graaf on the evening of Tuesday, November 17, and if he loses, he will face the same opponent on Sunday, November 15.

The Players Championship Finals are held at Butlin’s Minehead Resort between November 27 and November 29. The schedule has not yet been finalised, but it will be broadcast live on ITV4.