DISCUSSION | World Series of Darts Finals: Luke Littler in danger of becoming 'boycott' World Champion - is poor crowd reception warranted?

The World Series of Darts Finals took place this past weekend with Ross Smith scooping the title in Amsterdam defeating Gerwyn Price in a statement final display.

But while Smith winning it was the big talking point, so was Luke Littler with the World Number One missing the chance to seal the clean sweep and also questions continuing to reign about his part in the crowd turning against him.

He has threatened to boycott Holland in future and already won't play in Germany. So is he slowly becoming the boycott World Champion? Our discussion today looks back at the weekend just gone and all the leading talking points.

Samuel Gill, Editor for DartsNews.com was super pleased to see Ross Smith seal glory and had his own take on Littler gate.

Ross Smith winning the title this weekend should be the story in my opinion. 'Smudger' has long been one of my favourite players to watch on the tour, his scoring power is one of the best on the tour and when he is in full flight, he is an absolute joy to watch.

I semi had an inkling and said as much on the DartsNews Podcast last week that not only would Clayton perhaps spoil the Littler party, but that Smith for me was the dark horse but not the dark horse in that he is often called that despite him being a major champion and at this point a player merely just outside of the elite two in Littler and Humphries.

So more respect should be put on Smith's name really and he should be in next year's Premier League. He is box office and keeps proving that.

A word on Littler given it is the big talking point. I get it but I don't. As someone who has worked in this sport for nearly a decade and been a fan for years prior, I watched MVG's dominance and even Taylor before that. In hindsight now I like watching Van Gerwen and yearn for him to be back. But back as a teenager, I used to want him to lose every week as it became repetitive and boring.

That is what happens when you become a winner. As a Brit I see it with other athletes like Keely Hodgkinson, Emma Raducanu where they win and then are immediately thrust into the spotlight constantly mainly by tabloid press to the point where fans loathe them. But it seems to be more that some fans including those in Holland just hate winners and want something different. That is fine, but Littler's dominance should be applauded. Not shunned and given the treatment like he is some villain. But then again it's the similar narrative that saw Price incessently booed for years for one match and it became just a let's join in exercise. So I don't expect it to cease any time soon.

Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com saw positives for the Dutch contingent and said it was sad that the boycott now seems a reality.

What an edition of the World Series of Darts Finals we have witnessed this year.

A magnificent Ross Smith finally capped off several months of outstanding form by claiming his second major title. The final against Gerwyn Price remained finely poised for a long time, but at 5-5, Smith shifted through the gears in the third session and reeled off six consecutive legs to seal a memorable victory.

For Price, the wait for his first major title since 2022 will therefore continue. ‘The Iceman’ produced an outstanding tournament overall, but in the final he simply seemed to run out of steam after such a long day of darts. Given the form he is currently showing, however, it surely cannot be too long before he gets his hands on another major title.

The biggest talking point, though, remains Luke Littler’s defeat. The 19-year-old had looked somewhat out of sorts throughout the weekend. He had already been made to work extremely hard against Danny Noppert and, in particular, Nathan Aspinall, but his tournament finally came to an end against Jonny Clayton. Littler was beaten comprehensively, going down 10-4.

The defeat may also have been influenced to some extent by the Dutch crowd, who unfortunately failed to show their best side during Littler’s matches. ‘The Nuke’ was subjected to plenty of booing and whistling throughout his games, and it was clear that the reception was beginning to irritate him. In an interview following his match against Aspinall, Littler even suggested that, alongside Germany, he could potentially boycott the Netherlands if the situation continued. Sadly, it now appears that this could become a reality.

The result also means that Littler will no longer be able to complete his clean sweep of the 2026 season, with consequences for the remainder of his schedule. He will not travel to the Players Championship events in the Netherlands this week and, as a result, will also miss the Players Championship Finals. He was already due to skip the final two European Tour events, meaning that after the World Grand Prix, we are likely to see Littler only at the European Championship and the Grand Slam of Darts before the World Championship.

Finally, a word on the Dutch contingent. Michael van Gerwen still cannot seem to find a way out of his current slump and endured another disappointing weekend in front of his home crowd. Wessel Nijman once again produced some strong darts, but, as has happened to him on several occasions, he had the misfortune of running into an extremely efficient James Wade.

Dirk van Duijvenbode, meanwhile, produced one of the surprises of the tournament with an impressive and thoroughly deserved victory over Luke Humphries. Gian van Veen also enjoyed an excellent run, reaching the semi-finals and once again showing why he is regarded as one of the exciting young talents on the circuit.

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com sees it as different when it comes to Littler in that he should change his persona and isn't fully innocent when it comes to his part.

It was an enthralling World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam where Ross Smith broke away from the rest to win a second major title. However, it feels like the spotlight is again on Luke Littler, but not for the reasons fans have been accustomed to in recent times.

From the off, the crowd was not his friend. He played Danny Noppert in the first match and was getting a lot of grief from the partisan fans. What did Littler do? He reacted to them, giving them more to feed off. He deserves a lot of credit in how he got through it as well as the math against Nathan Aspinall, but his comments after about boycotting the Netherlands seems a bit rash and thoughtless. Yes, the supporters were favouring the other player for much of the time, but can you blame them?

Darts fans have been fed up of ‘The Nuke’ winning. It is never a bad thing for the same person to win, but his dominance on the major stage has put a target on his back. That added to the fact he is playing in front of a Dutch crowd who had other players they wanted to cheer on gives away why he was booed. Harshly? Yeah, he may have a point. But he was not the only one, albeit he got the brunt of it. He has done the same to an extent with Germany following the reactions he has got there. Littler is still 19 and has a lot of learning to do despite what he has achieved in this sport, but he cannot constantly lambast the crowd time and time again. Either get used to it or change their persona. If not, then he will have a very small list of countries he chooses to play in. The moral of the story: if you cannot take it, do not give it.

Going back to the darts, the clean sweep aspirations came to an end. In truth, it was not Littler’s finest tournament showing. That Jonny Clayton tussle especially was a unique watch. Being let down by double 10 and five over and over again, and against someone like Clayton who was there to capitalise. Littler will bounce back, but this weekend overall is a stark and deserved reminder to everyone that he is beatable.

Smith is the first player to win a major title not called Luke Littler for over a year. Gian van Veen’s European Championship run was the last time, another title ‘Smudger’ had also won. His final display was exceptional. He can well and truly be classed among the elite in this current moment in time. To bully Gerwyn Price off the stage in a best-of-21 format is no easy task and deserves huge praise.

This, for the time being, has put him in the fray for a Premier League Darts spot. Littler, Luke Humphries, van Veen, Price, and Clayton seem like shoe-ins. Michael van Gerwen as well, depending on how far he plummets. Behind them, you have the leading contenders of Smith, Wessel Nijman, and James Wade. Smith has a huge boost compared to the others with this major title. Because Littler has won basically all of them, it has been hard to single out other names in this very early prediction. I would say that Smith is a deserving candidate. I would also throw in van Gerwen and Wade for the time being, although things could change with a very busy period coming up. Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, and co have work to do to prove their worth. (edited)

As a Dutchman, Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com says Littler does himself no favours with his arrogance and that it was why he is being given the bad reception. Do you agree?

The World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam certainly provided plenty of talking points. The biggest plaudits, of course, have to go to Ross Smith. The Englishman capped off his excellent run of form by claiming the second major title of his career and, particularly in the final against Gerwyn Price, showed exactly what he is capable of right now. If Smith can maintain this level over the coming months, his name will undoubtedly feature more and more prominently in the conversation for the 2027 Premier League.

There was also plenty to enjoy from a Dutch perspective. Gian van Veen reached the semi-finals and once again underlined that he is now firmly established among the world’s elite. Dirk van Duijvenbode made it to the quarter-finals, picking up an impressive victory over Luke Humphries along the way. For Van Duijvenbode in particular, that was a welcome reminder that, on his best days, he is still capable of competing with the very best in the game.

The most remarkable moment of the weekend, however, came courtesy of Luke Littler. For the first time this year, he suffered defeat in a televised tournament. Jonny Clayton not only brought Littler’s run in Amsterdam to an end, but also ended ‘The Nuke’s’ remarkable bid to win every major title in a single calendar year.

Unfortunately, there was also plenty of attention surrounding Littler away from the actual darts. He was booed by sections of the Amsterdam crowd throughout virtually the entire weekend. Littler has perhaps brought some of that upon himself with his occasionally arrogant and provocative behaviour on stage, but it would still be a great shame if it ultimately led him to consider skipping tournaments in the Netherlands.

Moreover, it does little for the image of Dutch darts fans. That is particularly unfortunate given that, in football, Dutch supporters have built a reputation for being among the most colourful and good-natured fans at European Championships and World Cups.

Bram Coenen, editor for DartsNieuws.com, added fuel to the fire on another debate which was whether the Finals are actually a major akin to the Premier League and said that this loss might affect Price more than we think.

The most important thing we should remember from the World Series of Darts Finals is Luke Littler's defeat in the quarter-finals against Jonny Clayton. And what a defeat it was: Littler went down 10-4, something I don't think anyone saw coming. It also immediately means that Littler's dream of winning all the majors in the same calendar year is over.

Although you could also ask whether the World Series of Darts Finals is actually a major. It certainly isn't a ranking event, but then again, neither is the Premier League Darts, although that tournament does have much more prestige and profile.

Someone who certainly won't be too bothered by all of this is Ross Smith. What a fantastic year the 37-year-old Englishman is having. He had already won two European Tour titles earlier this year and has now also claimed the World Series of Darts Finals title, making it his second major after his European Championship triumph in 2022.

Smith has immediately established himself alongside Littler as one of the absolute favourites for the World Grand Prix.

While Smith was understandably ecstatic with joy, Gerwyn Price will surely be heading home disappointed. The Welshman had a unique opportunity — especially after Littler was eliminated early — to win a major for the first time since 2022. That major title came, indeed, at the World Series of Darts Finals.

If Price continues to play like this, there will probably be more opportunities for him, but this one will surely hurt for 'The Iceman'.

From a Dutch perspective, Gian van Veen was the player who progressed the furthest. Van Veen can certainly take confidence from this tournament. He is not yet producing his best level in terms of scoring, but he still managed to go deep into the event once again.

If he can raise his scoring level heading into the World Grand Prix, he could potentially make a serious run at the title there as well.

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE described Littler as the boycott World Champion as he adds to his list of countries he doesn't want to play in after deciding not to play in Germany unless he is made to.

The 2026 World Series of Darts Finals once again demonstrated just how crucial momentum, confidence and form are in darts. For weeks — probably even months — Ross Smith has been one of the most in-form players on the PDC Tour.

After his success on the European Tour and the floor, the Englishman has now capped off that remarkable run of form by claiming the second major title of his career.

At the same time, Ross Smith is one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the decisive months of the darts season. In his current form, the world number 14 has to be considered among the leading contenders at virtually every tournament he enters. But just how far can Smith take this run before the end of the year? Can he break into the world's top ten? Or could another string of outstanding results even put him in contention for a place in the 2027 Premier League? The coming weeks will provide the answers.

One major question, however, was already answered at the World Series of Darts Finals: will Luke Littler complete the historic clean sweep? The answer is no. Jonny Clayton brought Littler's record-breaking pursuit to an emphatic end with a 10–4 victory in the quarter-finals.

Away from the sporting headlines, Littler also found himself at the centre of discussion for what happened away from the oche. Following his victory over Nathan Aspinall, the World Champion strongly criticised the crowd and even threatened to boycott future events in the Netherlands — similar to comments he has previously made about playing in Germany.

While I can understand his frustration with the crowd and completely condemn fans deliberately whistling to distract players, I still believe Luke Littler is doing himself no favours with the way he is handling the situation.

Of course, the world number one holds all the cards. He does not need to play tournaments in Germany or the Netherlands and can still comfortably maintain his position at the top of the rankings. Even so, I believe that one of the most dominant players this sport has ever seen should be above these things — particularly because he has the ability to be. Luke Littler is so much better than every other darts player on the planet right now, so why not respond to these reactions from the crowd with a little more composure, confidence and that sense of being untouchable?

In my opinion, being World Champion and world number one also comes with a certain degree of responsibility. And as much as Luke Littler, as the poster boy of darts, has helped drive the sport to unprecedented heights, he should be careful not to add the title of “boycott world champion” to his World Championship crown. Because, ultimately, he is the World Champion — not the UK Champion.