“For me, it’s about legacy” – Luke Humphries targets place among PDC’s elite as potential 7th multiple World Champion

Luke Humphries will head to the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace with a huge amount of confidence as he aims to reclaim the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy. The Englishman, who lifted his first world title in 2024, is determined to write history once again on the sport’s biggest stage.

Although Humphries hardly needs extra motivation, the chance to regain the world number one spot — and the record prize of one million pounds — provides an added boost. His long reign at the top of the rankings recently ended due to the rise of Luke Littler, who has already claimed six major TV titles this year. Even so, Humphries insists he remains unfazed.

The 30-year-old has secured major successes of his own in 2025, winning the World Masters, triumphing in the Premier League Darts and reaching three big TV finals in the past two months. Those finals saw him beaten twice by Littler, while Gian van Veen narrowly denied him the European Championship crown.

Yet Humphries is convinced he is now playing at the highest level of his career. “I feel like I’m playing better darts than I ever have,” declared Humphries to the PDC, one of nine PDC World Champions in this year’s expanded 128-player field.

“I think my stats from the World Grand Prix, European Championship and the Grand Slam were the best I’ve ever had in those tournaments. At this year’s Grand Slam, my numbers were better than the year I won it in 2023. It was the same at the World Grand Prix, and my stats from the European Championship were the best they’ve ever been.”

Humphries begins his latest title bid on Saturday 13 December against Ted Evetts — a meeting of two former youth world champions — and despite the depth of the field, he approaches the tournament with total belief.

One of the key factors behind his recent surge has been a subtle adjustment to his throwing action. After a challenging summer, Humphries re-evaluated his approach and introduced small but important tweaks. “You have to be open to changing things if something is not working,” insisted the world number two.

“I’m open to changing darts, stems, flights, throw or my stance to make myself better. That’s what I need to do. I need to get even better to win these big major titles, and slowing my throw down a bit has really benefitted me.”

Humphries believes that improved consistency can propel him to a second world title in three years — a feat achieved by only a handful of players. “This is what I’m striving for now,” added the 30-year-old, who defeated Littler to triumph in a record-breaking 2023/24 final.

“Winning this title once was always my dream and that dream has been completed, but now I’m chasing another dream. I’ve got a chance to put my name amongst a rare group of players that have won it twice. I think there are only six players that have ever done it, so that puts you in a different league.”

For Humphries, the mission is increasingly about legacy. “If you perform here, you will always be remembered. For me as a player, it’s about legacy. If you can win multiple World Championship titles that legacy becomes even greater and you go down in history forever. That is what makes this tournament so special.”