Jonny Clayton has revealed he came close to quitting darts as he struggled to cope with the death of his dad.The Welshman enjoyed an impressive run at the World Matchplay, reaching the semi-finals where he was then knocked out by James Wade in an all-time classic encounter.GettyClayton enjoyed his second-best run at the World Matchplay, having reached the competition’s final in 2023[/caption]Clayton was on the wrong side of a 20-18 defeat to Wade at Winter Gardens, but that barely covers the drama.Their last four clash went down as the longest ever semi-final in World Matchplay history, as 2023 runner-up Clayton fought back from 16-10 down to force a tiebreak.England’s Wade eventually pulled through, pouncing when 19-18 up to finally take the match, and set up a final clash with eventual winner Luke Littler, who clinched glory with a 18-13 victory.Despite narrowly missing out on a shot at glory, there were plenty of positives for Clayton to take from an impressive campaign.The ‘Ferret’ beat world no.4 Stephen Bunting to book his spot in the last four, which was his fourth major semi-final this year.And Clayton’s 2025 form is all the more commendable considering that two years ago, he was prepared to walk away from darts altogether after a tough period following the death of his dad.But after his 16-7 victory over Bunting, the 50-year-old revealed he has now rediscovered his love of the sport.He said: “I’ve changed my mind! I’ve got the hunger back. I don’t know what it is. I felt a bit down in darts, but I want to be one of the best. “It hurts that I’ve dropped from world number five to nine with the rankings, but I’m climbing back up slowly. I want to be with the elite. “When you’re there, people respect you more than what they do when you are further down the rankings. GettyClayton won six legs in a row to force a tie-break in the World Matchplay semi-finals[/caption]He was eventually beaten by 2007 champion James Wade, but only after pushing him all the wayGetty“If you’re not playing well, no matter your ranking, people pick up on it. “But if you’re playing well, it’s a step in the right direction. I had to do a job against Stephen, and I did.”Clayton then opened up on how his tragic loss has affected him, as he admitted he has only recently began to work on his game again, having lost all motivation to play the sport.He continued: “I don’t think I have hit top gear here yet. “But I am back on the practice board and that is something I have not done for probably a year and a half. “We all know two years ago with my dad passing I just did not want to play. GettyClayton picked up his maiden Premier League Darts trophy in 2021, beating Jose de Sousa in the final[/caption]“I have a smile back on my face now and I have two kids who want me to do well.” Clayton has certainly managed to bounce back this year, having picked up a Euro Tour title at the Dutch Darts Championship in May.He also narrowly missed out on glory at the World Cup of Darts, as he and Wales teammate Gerwyn Price were beaten 10-9 in the final by Northern Irish pair Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney.And if his past form is anything to go by, Clayton will be targeting plenty more success after finding his motivation once again.The Welsh darts star is a four-time major winner, with all of these titles coming in 2021.In a stellar 12 months, Clayton tasted Premier League glory, as well as triumphing in the World Masters, World Grand Prix and the World Series of Darts Finals.