"I didn't expect to win three majors and then be World Champion": Newfound success a learning curve for Luke Humphries

Luke Humphries admits his recent success has taken even him by surprise as he continues to get to grips with life as World Champion.

After dominating on the ProTour for the last two years and threatening to break through in the majors, the World No. 1 won three big televised events at the end of 2023, before fulfilling his darting destiny by becoming World Champion and the number one ranked player in the world.

Despite this, Humphries has remained level-headed: "I might be the World Champion and world number one, but this is a learning curve for me. I didn't expect to win three majors and then be World Champion. It's something that I never imagined I would do in my whole career, let alone in the space of three months."

The 29-year-old has come under criticism for his perceived slow start to the year and he understands due to his achievements, he now has a target on his back. “I'm still coming to terms with the pressures of that, but I'm going to enjoy the whole process, because unless you're involved in it, you don't realise how tough it is."

Humphries continues his Premier League campaign on Thursday, where he will take on Rob Cross in Newcastle, and currently sits in fourth place in the table thanks to a run to the final last week in Glasgow. "I'm proud of the way I played last week. It was much, much better in terms of consistency, and now I'm where I want to be, in the top four. My goal is to finish in the top four, whether it's fourth, third, second or first, and I will keep working hard to make sure I'm in those positions at the end of the season."