Gerwyn Price is relishing the chance to finally be introduced as World Champion in front of a live crowd when he steps out at Blackpool's Winter Gardens on Saturday night.
The Welsh star claimed darts' biggest prize behind closed doors when he defeated Gary Anderson in January's World Championship final.
He also competed in the Masters and UK Open without crowds and was ruled out of the Premier League after testing positive for Covid-19 in April.
Saturday's opening night of the Betfred World Matchplay in Blackpool will see Price introduced in front of fans for the first time - albeit with a reduced capacity for his tie with Jermaine Wattimena.
"I'm looking forward to John McDonald calling me out with an actual crowd there," said Price, who last played in front of fans at the European Championship last October.
"Hopefully if all goes well I can get through that game and get called out with a full capacity as well.
"I haven't played in front of a crowd for so long, I'm not sure how it's going to go.
"Hopefully I can get through that first game and settle in, and look forward to the rest of the tournament with a full capacity.
"It's one of my favourite venues. The capacity is quite low but that brings out a better atmosphere."
Price has lost in the first round for the past four years, but has happier memories of his World Matchplay debut in 2015, when he reached his first televised quarter-final.
"I think that was probably the first time that I really believed that I could live with the top players," he reflects.
"I haven't really done very well there since, but I know what I've done wrong and where I've slipped up, and hopefully I can put that right this week.
"I've approached the tournament wrong in the last couple of years. I've been doing things with the family and not really concentrating on darts, so this year's a little different and the family's not coming. I'm going up there solely for work and to give it every chance."
Price's first round opponent Jermaine Wattimena came into the event on Monday when Mensur Suljovic withdrew for medical reasons.
However, the Welsh star is in confident mood as he bids to reassert his status as world number one after missing the Premier League.
"I know Mensur pulled out and Jermaine's in, but I just concentrate on my own game," he added. "I'm not worried about who I'm playing - I know if I play my A-game and take my chances, I'll be fine.
"If my game's good enough on the day then so be it, but I don't tend to put myself under too much pressure.
"I'm scoring brilliant and out-playing people but the rustiness is still there and I know that I'm missing doubles and letting people off.
"People are upping their game as well - I think they're upping it against me but they're probably doing it against everybody else as well!
"Sometimes it works and it makes me play better. The longer the format, the better and I think I'm more consistent now with my scoring game than anybody on tour.
"I've been practising a lot more on my doubles and hopefully it will all come together."
A limited number of tickets remain available for some sessions of the Betfred World Matchplay - click here for full ticket information.
The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers and through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and RTL7, and broadcast through talkSPORT2.
2021 Betfred World Matchplay
Schedule of Play
Saturday July 17 (1900 BST)
4x First Round
Dave Chisnall v Vincent van der Voort
Jonny Clayton v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gerwyn Price v Jermaine Wattimena
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Devon Petersen
Sunday July 18
Afternoon Session (1300 BST)
4x First Round
Krzysztof Ratajski v Brendan Dolan
Glen Durrant v Callan Rydz
Rob Cross v Ross Smith
James Wade v Luke Humphries
Evening Session (1930 BST)
4x First Round
Joe Cullen v Chris Dobey
Michael Smith v Ryan Searle
Peter Wright v Danny Noppert
Jose de Sousa v Gabriel Clemens
Monday July 19 (1900 BST)
4x First Round
Daryl Gurney v Ian White
Nathan Aspinall v Mervyn King
Michael van Gerwen v Damon Heta
Gary Anderson v Stephen Bunting
Tuesday July 20 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round
Cross/R Smith v Durrant/Rydz
Wade/Humphries v Ratajski/Dolan
Price/Wattimena v Clayton/Van Duijvenbode
Van den Bergh/Petersen v Chisnall/Van der Voort
Wednesday July 21 (1900 BST)
4x Second Round
M Smith/Searle v De Sousa/Clemens
Anderson/Bunting v Aspinall/King
Van Gerwen/Heta v Gurney/White
Wright/Noppert v Cullen/Dobey
Thursday July 22 (1900 BST)
2x Quarter-Finals
Friday July 23 (1900 BST)
2x Quarter-Finals
Saturday July 24 (1900 BST)
Semi-Finals
Sunday July 25 (2030 BST)
Final