“Holding all the major titles at once? That's obviously the main aim” – Luke Littler’s hunger for victory is far from satiated after another triumph

Luke Littler continued his remarkable rise by defending his title at the UK Open Darts Championship, becoming the first player in ten years to win the tournament in consecutive seasons. The last player to achieve the feat was Michael van Gerwen, but Littler admitted afterwards that his performance across the event was far from perfect.

“Like I said on stage, there were a lot of close games throughout this tournament and I weren’t at my best at times,” Littler said afterwards. “I missed far too many doubles that I would have liked to hit. But we got the job done and for the first time in ten years someone’s gone back-to-back.”

Littler is well known for keeping an eye on records and statistics, something he admitted played a role in his motivation going into the tournament. “I don’t think there’s that many players who’ve gone back-to-back, never mind won it twice,” he said. “I was on social media a day or two before travelling and saw the last person to do it was Michael ten years ago. So I just took it game by game and got the job done.”

The 17-year-old’s current run of form is remarkable. Littler has not lost a televised ranking match since October and continues to reach the latter stages of major events with remarkable consistency. “That’s obviously the main aim,” he said when asked if he could dominate the big titles. “Even after the semi-final I was straight on Instagram and TikTok just scrolling and I saw it was 16 consecutive semi-finals or maybe even 17. My semi-final record is good and luckily the finals record is there as well.”

Alongside his major success, Littler is also competing in the Premier League Darts this season. After a difficult start, he believes a recent nightly victory helped rebuild momentum ahead of the UK Open. “The Premier League on Thursday was a massive win to get myself from seventh up into the qualification spots,” he said. “It wasn’t the start I wanted, but now I’m sat third and that means a lot. To bring that form here and pick up the trophy as well means a lot, and hopefully I can kick on now.”

In the final, Littler faced experienced Englishman James Wade, with the match finely balanced midway through the contest. “Wadey got into the lead, I got into the lead, but I managed to get back in front in the back end of the game and keep the lead to win the title,” Littler explained. “James is one of those players who won’t go away. He’ll always be there with you and he’s very hard to play, as everyone knows. But on the board and even after it he’s just a gentleman.”

Despite beating Wade in several major finals over the past year, Littler spoke with great admiration for the veteran. “I think he’s been here every year for about 24 years,” he said. “That just shows how long he’s been around. James was one of the players I watched growing up.” The pair also shared a joke after the match. “I said to him I’ve beaten you back-to-back now, you can have it next year. And he said, ‘Yeah, but I’ll still be here.’ That sums him up — he’s still got a lot left in the tank.”

The UK Open’s demanding format means players often face long days with several matches in quick succession, something Littler said he is still getting used to. “They’re very long days,” he admitted. “You win the afternoon game, then you’re waiting around for the semi-final, and then it’s a quick turnaround to the final.” However, his experience on the European Tour has helped him manage the schedule. “Those Sundays are even longer sometimes. It’s just about managing your practice, sitting down, and then getting back on stage.”

Even so, the effort of the weekend eventually caught up with him. “I’m absolutely shattered now,” Littler laughed. “But I can finally chill out tonight.”

Looking ahead, Littler believes both his UK Open victory and his improved position in the Premier League standings can help drive him forward for the rest of the season. “Going from seventh to third was a big jump for me,” he said. “Now I just need to keep going and hopefully pick up more points.”

Away from the oche, Littler has also begun to attract wider sporting recognition after receiving a nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards. The teenage star admitted he is excited about the possibility of meeting athletes from other sports, including tennis star Carlos Alcaraz. “I saw that Carlos Alcaraz was nominated as well,” Littler said. “Hopefully I can meet him.” Littler is a keen tennis fan and joked that the Spaniard had even won him some money recently. “I think he beat Novak Djokovic the other day and I had a bet on it,” he laughed.

Despite already collecting a growing list of major trophies, Littler insists there is still space for more silverware at home. “Hopefully,” he smiled. “If I win another one, we’ll make room again.”