"Hopefully there’s a million pounds for the winner" - Luke Humphries offers opinion on controversial Saudi Arabia event

Luke Humphries highlighted his thoughts on darts launching an event in Saudi Arabia after he defeated Nathan Aspinall 2-0 in the first round of the World Grand Prix.

The world number one took the lead but was instantly pegged back by The Asp who pinned a highly satisfying 170 checkout. Humphries followed that with a 117 checkout, before wrapping up the first set. With his opponent on double 16, Humphries found a third ton+ outshot of the match, spearing a dagger into Aspinall's heart as he pinned double 18 for a sublime 156 checkout. He found the same target two legs later to successfully steer himself away from a first round upset.

Speaking to Dartsnews.com after the victory, Humphries referred to that 156 as a key moment in the match. "Yeah, he was on a double finish or whatever, and I felt like that really took the wind out of his sails," Humphries said. "For me, I don’t think the scoring was great — it can be better. Everyone knows I’m a good scorer, but if I can pair that with the doubling in, then I stand a great chance of doing well this week. So yeah, I’m happy with the performance — it was good. I’ll be striving for more in the next game, and hopefully I can combine that strong starting with better scoring as well."

Out of all the players he could have faced, Aspinall may have been the toughest on paper, including for the former World Champion. However, he saw this as a positive thing, forcing him to concentrate more on the task at hand.

"Yeah, honestly, sometimes I feel like I get horrible draws in the European Tours and I’m like, 'Oh, for God’s sake, I’ve got a really tough player.' But then I think, hold on — except for that first Euro Tour this year, I haven’t lost a first-round game, so maybe the better players make me better," he said. "Sometimes you play players you feel like you should beat, and that might make you relax a bit too much. When I know I’ve got a tough game, I really concentrate hard. So maybe it’s a good thing I’ve had these tough first-round draws. Even with Gian van Veen in the Matchplay — that was a tough game too, it just didn’t go my way. But I didn’t want to lose back-to-back first rounds in big major tournaments, and I’ve achieved that tonight by avoiding it."

Back in 2023, Cool Hand Luke etched his name into darting folklore by defeating Gerwyn Price to clinch the World Grand Prix, commencing a run of four major titles, ending in him being crowned World Champion and number one in the world. This all leads back to this event, with him favouring the unique double-in double-out format.

"I think the double-in format brings out the best in me," he said. "My double-16 hitting has been really good over the last few years, and especially here — the last three years have been great. Last year was disappointing because I felt I could’ve won. It could’ve been two more open sets and a completely different game, but Mike (De Decker) deserved his win. So yeah, the double-in brings out the best in me — and I do love double-16 too."

The World Grand Prix begins a hectic period in the darting calendar. It is the first of five major titles, climaxing with the World Championships. This has motivated Humphries to return to the practice board, as looks to retain his number one ranking from the charging Luke Littler.

"Yeah, honestly, I do. After the Premier League, I kind of neglected my practice," Humphries said. "There were gaps in the calendar and even if it was just three or four days, I wasn’t practising. You start to feel comfortable that your game’s in a good place, so maybe you don’t try as hard. But in the last three, four, five weeks, I’ve been playing all the time — exhibitions, matches — and that keeps you sharp. When I’m playing regularly, I’m dangerous. I think I’ve made the right decision. I’ve been working hard, playing constantly, and that’s when I’m at my best."

When asked how close he is to the level he is aiming for, Humphries said: "Not far away, yeah. I think everyone can see that the last two years before this one, I wasn’t at my very best. But in 2023, I got back to that level — the Grand Prix, the Grand Slam — I was playing really well and people were saying, 'Okay, this guy’s going to dominate.' Then in 2024, I was great again — won the Matchplay, the Players Championship Finals, and the World Cup. The Worlds didn’t go great, but still, that was a strong year. This year’s been good too, but not at that same consistent level. Now, though, I feel like I can get back there again. The confidence is returning — and that’s huge. You can’t be overconfident, but feeling good mentally is really important."

"Yeah, honestly, I didn’t really have a thought on it until a couple of days ago when it came out," Humphries said. "I’m just a dart player — if I’m asked or invited to play, that’s what I’ll do. Wherever the PDC takes it, I’ll go."

It is a whole-new event on the World Series, with it already amassing a host of views, not all positive. Despite this, Humphries saw an opportunity for a shedload of cash to reach his bank account, which Saudi Arabia have done in the past with many other sporting events.

"Honestly, I couldn’t care, to be honest. Whatever he wants to do is fine — as long as he pays as well as he does for the snooker and boxing. This is my job, and I think it’s good for the sport. We’re trying to grow darts globally, and Saudi Arabia seems to be a hotspot now — boxing’s there, snooker’s there, and now darts. I don’t have much input — if I’m picked, I’ll be there. Whether it’s Saudi, Japan, South Africa, or Australia — I’ll go. We’ll see what happens in January. If it’s a success, great. If not, we’ll move on. But hopefully there’s a million pounds for the winner!"

He was also pitched if he would be open to new formats in the sport, as he said: "I mean, some people wouldn’t like it, but sometimes you’ve got to grow and evolve the sport. New ideas can be fun. There are so many formats already — “Rumble,” “Rider Cup,” all that — so people can’t complain if we try something new. Playing 501 all the time can get a bit boring for fans, so maybe a change would be good. Whatever it is — quadro boards, 1001, best of one — I don’t care, I’ll be there and I’ll enjoy it. It’s all about growing the sport, bringing it to new places, and hopefully it helps darts grow in the Middle East even more."