Cameron Menzies has explained why he finds it difficult on stage as he breaks down in tears at World Darts Championships

Cameron Menzies was reduced to tears on the oche at the World Darts Championship as he suffered a shock defeat to Leonard Gates.

USA's Gates beat Menzies 3-1 in their first round clash on Monday.

After Gates nailed the double seven to book his spot in the second round, Menzies burst into tears before sharing a warm embrace with his opponent.

The Scot was visibly emotional on the Ally Pally stage as he exited the competition at the first hurdle.

GATES STUNS MENZIES! 😱

Leonard Gates dumps Cameron Menzies out of the World Championship!

Emotional scenes at the end with Menzies visibly distraught.

📺 https://t.co/pIQvhqYxEj#WCDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/yyq4uTjlCQ

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 16, 2024

Speaking after the match, former pro darts player Glen Durrant said: "That transition to doing really well on the floor at the Players Championship and doing well on the stage, it's just not happening, he's full of emotion.

"When you look at his preparation, it's something he's going to have to work out, why he doesn't play as well on the stage as on the floor.

"He's extremely talented, but at the end it was a little worrying. I didn't know if he was getting upset, I didn't know if the heat was getting to him. It was pretty bizarre. But very, very disappointing."

Before the World Darts Championship, Menzies, 35, opened up about his battle with anxiety, revealing he reached out to a mental sports psychologist.

"I reached out to a mental sports psychologist. I went through things with him. He's got a little app that does courses and stuff. A lot of times it's just trying to maintain your stress levels and anxiety levels. That's what he says. That's why I'm up and down," he explained to the Glasgow World.

"It's just overthinking, so he's just trying to basically dumb it down. He's told me a lot of things to try and do. So hopefully, I've only done it for two weeks, but hopefully we can see progress in that and I am a bit more calmer on the stage."