Dutchman Michael van Gerwen feels it would be a "disaster" if he fails to add the 2017 William Hill PDC World Championship title to his bulging trophy cabinet.
The world number one heads to Alexandra Palace on the back of a superb run of form which has seen him collect a record 25 tournament victories this year.
However, lifting the most-coveted prize of all has eluded the 27-year-old since 2014.
Van Gerwen, though, is confident he can start the new year in the same blistering form which has swept everyone else aside over the past 12 months.
I think I've got the mental ability to fight against that for glory and pride
"I expect to win it because any other result for me is a disaster," the Dutchman said in an interview with his own youtube channel MvGTV.
"I am telling the truth. It is as simple as that.
"If people talk about this World Championship, my name goes after it, but it's not that easy, it's going to be tough this year.
"I know that, but I think I've got the mental ability to fight against that for glory and pride and I think I can do that."
Van Gerwen, who is the odds-on bookmakers' favourite, added: "It has been a phenomenal year [for me], bigger than I could think of.
"Last year (2015) I won 18 titles and told myself after the year that if I win eight or nine this year (2016) then I will still have a great year.
"Now I have already won 25 tournaments and the year is not even gone yet.
"I feel fantastic. I have won every major [televised event] the only down thing was maybe the [Unibet Champions League of Darts] tournament I lost against Phil Taylor in the final, but I cant really complain to be fair."
Van Gerwen certainly has unfinished business at Alexandra Palace, where Gary Anderson [above] will be looking to become only the third man to win three successive World Championship titles when he opens his defence against Mark Frost on Thursday evening.
Having been knocked out by the Scot in the 2015 semi-finals, last year the Dutchman needed a tie-break to beat unheralded German Rene Eidams in his opening contest before then coming off worst in an all-Orange third-round showdown against Raymond van Barneveld, the 2007 PDC champion.
Despite his form and confidence, Van Gerwen knows full well the challenge which lies ahead if he is to get his hands on the Sid Waddell trophy come January 2.
"The top half of the draw, my half, is going to be difficult, very hard," he said. "But that doesn't matter. If you want to win the World Championship you need to beat anyone and everyone.
"There are other people in the draw, in the bottom half, who can maybe even walk to the semi-finals."
Van Gerwen's first-round contest will be on Saturday evening against either Canadaian Ross Snook or Finland's Kim Viljanen.
The Dutchman added: "For me it doesn't really matter who I play, because you are going to have to beat everyone - but I would love to play Gary Anderson [in the final] because it is payback time."
