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There are a number of pulls when it comes to a career in sport.

The chance to spend every day doing what you love, earning your living along the way. Or maybe the pursuit of glory, the drive to be the best at what you have dedicated your life to. How about the sometimes staggering prize money on offer, which can lead to the chance of fame and a lifestyle most can only dream of?

Few consider that, for some, it's not really a choice. It's what athletes know – what they have always done, so they will continue to do.

That seems to be the case for three-time darts world champion Michael van Gerwen, who this week spoke about how he's not a fan of darts and doesn't actually follow his sport.

And he's not alone. Some of the top names in tennis, football, and more have expressed their dislike and distaste for the games that have given them so much.

Here, Daily Mail Sport takes a look at some of the world's top athletes who aren't actually too fond of the sport they have found success in.

Three-time darts world champion Michael van Gerwen revealed this week that he does not enjoy watching darts

Michael van Gerwen – Darts

Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen has dropped down to world No7 after the Matchplay, and his stocks have fallen significantly since his last world title in 2019.

The Dutchman has been speaking about his relationship with darts – the sport in which, perhaps for the first time in a decade, he is no longer the biggest star.

'I never did in my life,' he told Winmau of watching games. 'I don't even like watching darts.'

Luke v Luke (Littler and Humphries) has been the talk of the town for the last couple of years, while Littler has taken his game to a new dimension in recent months in becoming the first darts player to pick up £3million worth of earnings in two years.

Van Gerwen does make an effort to keep tabs on his rivals, but don't expect to see him in the crowd of any events he's not involved in any time soon, or listening to the likes of Wayne Mardle or Dan Dawson analysing the game on the tele.

But he doesn't totally hate the game. Just prefers to play it – which is fair enough, all things considered.

'Sometimes if a friend like Vincent (Van der Voort) used to play or things like that, or if Luke against Luke are playing maybe a final,' Van Gerwen continued on his viewing habits. 'I put on some live scores, but I'm not going to watch it at all.

'I'd rather play than watch. Simple as that. I always say the same, so it would be really weird to change my opinion.'

Ben White – Football

Arsenal defender Ben White has proven to be a bit of a diverse character in football in recent years. It all came to a head in November 2022, when he fell out with England assistant manager Steve Holland – supposedly over his attitude towards the game.

White is not a fan of watching football unless it's to analyse his own performances. Reports also emerged three years ago that White was not watching other analytical videos while with England.

'I watch myself for analytical reasons,' White recently claimed to The Overlap. 'I watch England, maybe, but I'm always busy doing something. I wouldn't just sit down and watch a game.

'I didn't ever watch football when I was younger. I still don't now.'

But, as is the case with Van Gerwen, it's not all hate with White. He just wants to be out there playing.

'I just loved the game,' he continued. 'I was always playing it, never watching.

'So I don't know too much about the older generations, but I know (Patrick) Vieira was a very good player. But I don't know the details.'

Ben White (right) has become known for his dislike of watching football

Serena Williams – Tennis

Serena Williams is perhaps the most famous name in women's tennis history, and one of the most dominant too.

'I don't love tennis today, but I'm here, and I can't live without it,' she told TennisNow in 2012. 'So I'm still here and I don't want to go anywhere any time soon.'

That's despite winning seven Australian Opens, seven Wimbledon titles, six US Opens, and three French Opens. But it's not just tennis - it's sport on the whole.

'It's not that I've fallen out of love, I've actually never liked sports, and I never understood how I became an athlete,' she continued. 'I don't like working out, I don't like anything that has to do with working physically.'

Not too much of an issue, though, it seems...

Serena Williams revealed in 2012 that she doesn't love tennis - or sport on the whole

Nick Kyrgios – Tennis

Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios has had a bit of a love-hate relationship with his sport.

The Australian, who is planning retirement at the age of 31, reached his first Grand Slam final in 2022 at Wimbledon. He would lose to Novak Djokovic, but has also regularly made headlines for his actions away from the actual tennis, such as his shouting during matches.

One wonders if his relationship with tennis is related to that. He said in 2015: 'I don't really like the sport of tennis that much. I don't love it.'

He does, though, have love for a different sport.

'It was crazy when I was 14,' he continued. 'I was all for basketball and I made the decision to play tennis. I got pushed by my parents and to this day I can still say I don't love the sport. It is just crazy how things go.

'It's good when you're out there on a tennis court. There's nowhere to hide. It's all you, tactically, physically, mentally. But I just love basketball, I love the sport. I always have. I try when I'm on the road with tennis not to watch too many basketball videos and stuff like that, to keep me focused, but it's tough.'

What could have been.

Nick Kygrios has a love-hate relationship with the sport - and would rather have been a basketball player

Mark Williams – Snooker

Things seem to be going a little better for Mark Williams since his comments in 2019, when he became one of the few athletes to actively say they 'hate' their sport.

Currently World No8 and a 2025 World Championship finalist, the Welshman was going through a tough patch back in 2019 when he had just beaten Fraser Patrick 6-2 in the first round of the UK Snooker Championship.

Despite actually being ranked No3 in the world, Williams had failed to win a ranking event all year. He lashed out at snooker, and, like Kyrgios, his mind was elsewhere.

'I really struggled but somehow he struggled more than me and made it easy for me on a couple of frames,' Williams said. 'It's going all right, I'm enjoying myself when I'm on the golf course.'

When questioned on snooker, he added: 'Hate it. I'm just enjoying playing golf more.'

He had also talked about retirement in 2017, before going onto become world champion for a third time a year later.

Maybe he feels differently now.

Mark Williams admitted to 'hating' snooker in 2019 after teasing retirement a few years earlier

Tyson Fury – Boxing

Potentially the biggest name in modern boxing doesn't actually like boxing.

Tyson Fury has retired and un-retired countless times, but attributes his many returns to an addiction that helps him deal with his mental health struggles.

'I've tried to walk away many times and been unsuccessful,' he told DAZN in 2024. 'I meant it when I retired after Dillian Whyte back in 2022, I really meant that wholeheartedly. I could have put my hand on the Bible and meant it, but it was difficult to let it go.

'I've been in love with boxing from a little boy. It's been a love-hate relationship. When it's good, it's very good and when it's bad, it's very toxic. Now I am a fully grown adult with a family of my own.

'I wanted to walk away a lot of times but it always drags me back. Boxing is an addiction. It abuses my body, my mind, my soul. But I feel like it takes me to ecstasy. The rush is unbelievable. It gives me the biggest highs ever, but it also gives me the lowest lows. Boxing is more addictive than any drug ever. Ever. You can't let it go.'

It only takes a quick viewing of his reality show to see how much his family have begged him to pack it in. It seems, though, their words aren't enough,

Fury is set to take on Anthony Joshua in an all-British mega-fight later this year, having eased past Mariusz Wach last weekend. After that, he may well retire again – but will seemingly always keep on coming back.

Tyson Fury has tried to retire from boxing a number of times but finds himself returning

Benoit Assou-Ekotto – Football

A pattern emerges in the list of players who don't like their sport. They engage with it in some form all the time – every decision is based on their career, they have to analyse everything about it, and they spend most of their time performing it.

'I play it enough, don't I?' former Tottenham full back Benoit Assou-Ekotto once argued in an interview with Sky Sports.

'I don't watch football. I don't talk about football away from the game either. I suppose that is unusual. My interests are my friends and music, especially hip-hop. I like Ice Cube and 50 Cent.'

Assou-Ekotto played more than 200 times for Spurs, and didn't do too much wrong. Perhaps his argument proves you don't have to be totally obsessed with what you are doing to reach the top level – or maybe it suggests he could have gone higher if he was.

Former Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto (right) is another sports star who does not enjoy watching their sport

Andre Agassi wrote in his autobiography that he 'hates' tennis despite his widespread success

Andre Agassi – Tennis

We have saved the most brutal for last – eight time Grand Slam tennis champion Andre Agassi hates tennis.

'I play tennis for a living even though I hate tennis,' he wrote in his autobiography. 'I hate it with a dark and secret passion and always have.'

Tell us what you really think, Andre.

It's unclear exactly why the American feels that way, but it could be something to do with top players being on tour for more than 30 weeks a year, having tennis dominate their lives, and the stress involved.

Agassi won all there was to win. Others on this list have too. Still – it is not always enough. Showing that, sometimes, being a sports star may not be all it can seem to be.