"He’ll challenge Luke Littler for a big match" – Max Hopp believes there are big plans behind Phil Taylor’s comeback
MODUS
Phil Taylor’s announced return could be just the beginning, according to Max Hopp. The German pro considers further clashes with Raymond van Barneveld plausible – and even speculates about a showdown with Luke Littler. He also expects more than a brief nostalgic cameo on the oche.
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How far will Phil Taylor’s path back to the oche go? For now, his joint start with Adrian Lewis at the MODUS Super Series is set for late November. However, Max Hopp can imagine the 16-time world champion chasing further targets.
Speaking to SPORT1, the “Maximizer” sketched a scenario that would link two darts generations. First, Taylor could rekindle his old rivalry with Raymond van Barneveld. After that, Hopp even sees a meeting with Luke Littler as possible.
“I think once he’s loosened up against Barney, he’ll challenge Luke Littler for a big match. That could be billed as ‘the GOAT versus the Nuke’.”
That is not an official challenge to Littler yet. Hopp is outlining his personal view of where Taylor’s comeback could lead.
Why Hopp expects more matches with Van Barneveld
His thinking starts with a special anniversary. Next year, it will be exactly two decades since the legendary 2007 World Championship final. Taylor and Van Barneveld delivered one of the most famous deciders in darts history.
Hopp believes this occasion could be a fitting trigger for more meetings between the two rivals. He also points to Van Barneveld’s comments about the approaching end of his career.
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“Next year is their 20-year anniversary, and Barney has also said he won’t be around much longer.”
Hopp can well imagine “that the two of them have planned one or two Taylor vs. Barney showdowns and that this is one of the reasons why he’s picking up the darts again.”
Whether such appearances will actually happen remains open. For Hopp, however, the anniversary is a plausible explanation for why Taylor is training regularly again and stepping back into the spotlight.
Won the World Cup of Darts together four times: Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis
More than a famous name on stage
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Regardless of potential rematches, Hopp trusts the Englishman to produce competitive performances. He bases this chiefly on Taylor’s drive and his well-known willingness to work hard on his game.
“I think he’s still capable of a lot. Taylor has always been a workhorse,” said Hopp.
He considers it unlikely that Taylor would return to the stage without proper preparation. In his view, the record world champion has been working on his form longer than the public assumes.
“He wouldn’t do it if he didn’t feel ready. He’s been training a bit longer than we all think.”
Hopp also reported information from Taylor’s circle: “I’ve heard from reliable sources that he’s been putting in an hour here and there in recent weeks.”
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Current developments in the sport may also have influenced Taylor’s motivation. Hopp suspects the former dominant force has been watching closely: “I think he’s seen a lot of matches and also this hype around Luke Littler.”
Looking for the right farewell?
Beyond sporting ambition, Hopp sees a personal element. After decades on the biggest stages, that feeling can be missed once a career ends.
Hopp likens Taylor’s situation to retirement after a long working life. At some point the familiar task is gone – and with it perhaps the special buzz of a stage appearance.
“At some point you just need that feeling of being on stage again.”
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From his encounters with Taylor, Hopp senses the return could also satisfy a desire for the right farewell. He might need it “to find a final, conciliatory closure for himself at some point.”
First, though, Taylor heads to Portsmouth. From 23.11.2026 to 28.11.2026, the 66-year-old will play the International Pairs Tournament with Adrian Lewis for England. It will be his first competitive appearance since the World Seniors Championship 2024. Back then, the 16-time world champion lost 2-3 in round 1 to Germany’s Manfred Bilderl.
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For Hopp, this return alone is welcome news. “First and foremost, darts fans can be happy to see Phil Taylor again. Many have wanted that.” Whether it leads to further marquee clashes may also depend on how Taylor performs in his comeback.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
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- I believe he has it in him to qualify for the Worlds as he consistently wins matches, even if it is only one or two at a time, although his recent PC quarter-final run was somewhat encouraging in that regard. I think there is a lot of pressure for him to retire, people in the media accusing him of tarnishing his legacy. I think that is a ridiculous line of thinking. How ungrateful it is to attach terms and conditions to the amazing moments he has provided us over the course of his career. What position are we in to dictate to him how he should manage his career when it is he who achieved those successes in the first place? What's more, this is his life and the passion that sustains it, it is not for us to decide when his career is over when it is he who must bear the genuine ramifications of that decision. Since I'm sure money is not a concern, the only question on which the decision should rest is whether he truly continues to enjoy competing. He has retired once before, but the desire to compete is what brought him back. We see a lot of negative body language and he does genuinely look miserable when he is not playing well, but only he will know when he wakes up the next day whether he wants to go and do it all over again. If he wants to compete, he should, it's as simple as that, this is a decision that should not involve anyone else but him and his family. He should not retire to indulge the whims of the media or the public. What satisfaction would he receive by being forced into retirement? What closure would it bring to such a brilliant career? When Phil Taylor decided to retire, his decision was final and resolute. I believe RvB needs to get to this point himself, no matter how many 70 averages it might take. We see the likes of John Part continue to compete on a regular basis well past his prime, I say more power to him, and who knows, further glory could be around the corner, it's darts after all, you just never know. Sometimes I worry that RvB is acutely aware of the clamour for him to retire and that this pressure may even have an impact on his performances as he begins to question whether there is even a place for him in darts anymore, further compounding his poor form and creating a vicious loop. Perhaps to take his future into his own hands would provide him with a levity and freedom that would lend itself to better performances, not to mention an improved wellbeing. In any case, it is under these conditions that one can clear-headedly and definitively settle an issue so profound as retirement, not when you feel you're being rushed out the door. If his performances can no longer sustain his presence on the tour, so be it; as it stands his card seems safe for this year but is in serious jeopardy next year. He could always allow himself to drop off the tour naturally rather than forfeiting his place in the top 64, this could provide a sense of finality while offering a route back through Q-School if he so desired; after all, he's done it before. In conclusion, I just hope that RvB can play - or not play - for his own sake, rather than anyone else's, so that when the time comes he can be in no doubt as to his decision, leaving no lingering questions, so that he can reflect with no regret or uncertainty on the marvelous career he has had.Deduce635826-09-2026
- Luke Littler has been good for the sport of darts, no question. But he is not above it. For his sake and ours, he needs to be put in his place sometimes, rather than having his every whim catered to. That is not how you build a good person nor a good sporting organisation, and it's beginning to have consequences.Deduce635826-09-2026
- Extremely disappointing decision. It used to be that, along with major events and Euro Tours, the Players Championship series constituted one of three standards against which successful darts players could be measured, one of three challenges every successful darts player should be expected to master to consider themself among the elite. Now they are dead weight in the darting calendar, and player turnout and the standard of competitiveness will reflect that. The truth is that Luke Littler and other big names would rather play lucrative exhibitions than put in the hard graft that being a successful dart player requires. It undermines the authority of the PDC and the game in general. So what do they do about it? Give them exactly what they want. Of course, why wouldn't they? They are their star attractions. It is ironic that an organisation formed in protest by the sport's elite should be undermined and disrespected by their contemporary equivalents, but the PDC had a chance to stand up to them with a firm message: play 2 events all year and expect the final to be played without you. Instead, they caved in. These events will be hardly worth playing anymore and this decision may have grave consequences for the future of floor events at the elite level. Some may say the calendar is overstuffed, yet these elite players have more than enough time to play plenty of exhibitions. The Premier League in particular is gruelling, but busy players are not expected to play every event, they are expected to manage their playing schedule carefully in order to apportion their time and energy appropriately. Clayton and Humphries, for instance, both sit in the top 20 of the Players Championship and European orders of merit, in addition to competing in the Premier League; they have proven it is absolutely possible and this change is an insult to their efforts in effectively managing their calendars. I think we are seeing players who simply think they are too good for Pro Tour events, arrogance which should be punished rather than rewarded as we are seeing here. Furthermore, why should success in Euro Tours qualify you for the Players Championship Final? The PDC are blurring the lines between those three disciplines of darting excellence, and in so doing destabilising the very foundations upon which the organisation and its success is built. Some may say I'm overreacting, but this, in addition to the PDC's subservience and snivelling obsequiousness toward their biggest assets, makes me fear for the future of professional darts.Deduce635826-09-2026
- I guess this will mean the top players will turn up even less? Taken all the excitement of qualifying away I think. Wish they made it top 32 to qualify and the finals to last all week.Baphomet26-09-2026
- Great article - but not written by this site. It's taken wholesale from last Sunday's Observer with this interview published online on Saturday.Scoobedybop22-09-2026
- Such sad and pathetic little losers giving abuse to young woman for any reason, let alone who she is in a relationship with. Go Beau! An absolute star and comes across as a genuinely nice and kind person. Wish her nothing but the best.BandB22-09-2026
- I wouldn't mind if he quit now to be honest. He's not bigger than darts. Let's face it without darts he'd just be a normal fat gamer kid.medinabello22-09-2026
- You know,I said this,in a sentence,not 5 paragraphs!!rick6721-09-2026
- Oh dear,he lost. Well any competitive sport runs the risk of defeat. He is, currently,his own worst enemy. Wind the crowd up,and you get it back bigger. Put your dummy in kidrick6721-09-2026
- Does an exhibition count in the clean sweep though?BandB21-09-2026
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