"I can't think 'I played all right so it's okay.' Clearly something's wrong" – Luke Humphries’ Grand Slam hopes at real risk despite 108 average in last 16 win

Luke Humphries stormed into the Quarter-Finals of the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts on Wednesday night — but admitted his title charge could be derailed by a painful back injury that almost forced him to withdraw.

The world number one produced one of the most astonishing displays of his career to crush debutant Jurjen van der Velde 10-3, averaging 108.55 with seven 180s and a remarkable 10/13 on the doubles. Yet behind the brilliance was a player who could barely get out of bed that morning.

“It’s up there, probably one of the best performances I’ve ever had in my life,” Humphries said after the match. “Under the circumstances, it’s kind of surreal to be honest. I was almost ready to pull out because it was that bad this morning. I couldn’t get my head off the pillow.”

Humphries credited tournament physio Mandy with “saving” his Grand Slam campaign after an emergency three-hour treatment session earlier in the day.

“She looked after me so well,” he said. “We had a couple of sessions trying to get whatever it is out — we think it’s a back spasm, but I’m not too clued up on these things. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to play.”

The injury, which flared up overnight, left Humphries in agony and struggling to throw in practice. “At home I was hitting nines and twelves — I couldn’t throw to be honest,” he said. “Then all of a sudden I go up there and play like that. It’s just crazy how much 12 hours can change everything.”

Humphries went as far as to suggest that the PDC and PDPA should consider having a full-time physio available at every event, calling his treatment a “godsend.”

“This is maybe something the PDC need to look at in future,” he said. “If she hadn’t done what she did, I don’t know if I’d have played today. Some of the players might have to get on board and put her forward to be part of the tour full-time.”

Even after the victory, the world number one admitted he’s bracing himself for a rough night. “I’m not in pain just stood here,” he said, “but when I turn or look up quickly, it really pulls. I know I’m going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow — it’s going to be a horrible night’s sleep.”

Despite clearly being hampered, Humphries tore through the early stages against Van der Velde, opening up a 5-0 lead with a staggering 117.42 average and barely a missed dart. The Dutch debutant briefly threatened to rally, but Humphries powered through the pain barrier to complete the job in 13 legs.

“I just tried to do what I could,” Humphries said. “Before the game I was moaning all day, saying it was so bad, but my partner said, ‘Just play your best, do what you can.’ I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near that good.”

He added: “Jurjen played really well — if I hadn’t been on it, he could’ve been 5-0 up himself. That’s how good he was early on.”

Humphries now faces Michael Smith in Friday’s quarter-finals, but admitted preparation will be far from normal.

“I just won’t practice now,” he said. “I don’t want to put it under any stress for no reason. I’ll just get all the physio done and try to get it in the best shape it can be. Hopefully by Friday I’ll be a bit more comfortable.”

But the injury clearly has him worried. “I can’t think, ‘I played all right so it’s okay.’ Clearly something’s wrong. I’ll see how it is over the next couple of days — if it carries on, then I’ll have to do something about it. For now, it’s just about getting through the pain.”

Despite the physical strain, Humphries took pride in showing the resilience that’s made him one of the sport’s elite. “It was gutting because I thought if I don’t play today, I’m giving away that number one spot,” he admitted. “Even if I went up there and averaged 80, at least I’d shown the fight to hold my spot as best as I could. It’s been mentally draining, but it was worth it for winning the game.”

As for his chances of lifting the trophy this weekend, Humphries gave a typically grounded answer: “Forget about the injury — it was a great performance. I’ll take a lot of confidence from that. I’ll just keep seeing the physios until it’s 110 percent.”