James Wade has been at the very top of the darts world for almost two decades, and former professional darts player Paul Nicholson believes there is one key reason: Wade now plays primarily for his family. The Englishman made his breakthrough at the top level in 2007, winning both the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix and reaching the world's top five for the first time. Nineteen years on, the 43-year-old remains part of the global elite.
Over his remarkable career, Wade has collected 11 major PDC titles across three different decades, with his total tally now standing at 42 PDC titles. He has also shown several times in 2026 that he remains a force to be reckoned with, winning Players Championship 1, the Australian Darts Masters and the Flanders Darts Trophy. Nicholson believes, however, that Wade's motivation has changed over the years. Material possessions may once have been a driving force, but today his focus is mainly on his wife, Sammi Marsh, and their two sons.
"Some sportspeople are motivated by money, some by fame, some by competitive instinct and others by the desire to provide for their families. But I think for James, it's periodic," said Nicholson for Sporting Life. Nicholson has known Wade for many years and remembers that the Englishman sometimes had very different reasons for pushing himself. "In the past we used to joke about how much he wanted a new car, and when he did want a new car, he would succeed. He had this thirst for BMWs and Bentleys and things like that." Nicholson says Wade also handled his earnings differently in the early years of his career. "And maybe he wasn't particularly smart with his money at the start of his career. He'd never be seen wearing darts shoes that cost less than £200!"
Since Wade became a father, however, Nicholson has noticed a clear change in his mindset. Providing for his family now seems to motivate him far more than luxury goods or personal success. "But I think his mentality's changed since he had kids. And I believe that's his biggest motivation at the minute. He wants to provide for his boys. He wants to provide for his family unit to make sure that they don't have to worry about money for the rest of their life, and he's doing a really good job of that. And it's probably the biggest motivation he's ever had."
Nicholson believes that has also helped Wade through the tougher periods of his career. Despite his huge list of achievements, "The Machine" has had years when his place among the elite came under threat. At one point, he even fell to 19th in the world rankings. "Playing for himself may have become a bit soulless especially with all the travelling and there have been some lean periods in his career when he dropped to 19 in the world." Nowadays, though, Nicholson says Wade has a tangible reminder each time he returns home of why he still puts so much time and energy into his darts career. "But nowadays, every time he goes home and sees his lovely house, and his wife and his kids there, he thinks, that's all the motivation I need."
"If he didn't have that, he wouldn't have responded the way he has and got back into the top five, which has been one of the most impressive things I've seen in years." Nicholson believes Wade's resurgence is one of the most remarkable stories in professional darts in recent years. The former major champion also thinks another factor may help Wade stay fully focused on his sport after so many years. Wade has spoken openly in the past about having ADHD and bipolar disorder. Nicholson believes that in a sport like darts, where routine, repetition and sustained concentration play a major role, neurodiversity can sometimes work to a player's advantage.
"He's spoken in the past about ADHD and being bipolar but sometimes I feel neurodiversity can be quite a superpower in a sport like darts which requires a degree of hyperfixation when it comes to practice and constructive obsession." Darts has also been such a constant part of Wade's daily life for so long that Nicholson can barely imagine how his former colleague would function without the sport. "This is James's routine. If he didn't have darts, he probably would feel a bit strange and maybe that's another motivating factor."
