“I’m already at a disadvantage” – James Wade opens up on the edge Luke Littler holds heading into 2026

James Wade does not dress it up as frustration or regret. In his latest column for the Daily Star, the multiple major winner lays out his position with characteristic bluntness, explaining why the opening weeks of 2026 already look different for those who stayed away from competition over Christmas.

After taking a full three-week break without throwing a dart, Wade explains how his own restart has unfolded.

“Christmas break has officially come to an end. After three weeks of complete rest during which I didn’t pick up a dart at all I’m now focusing on making a swift start to the season,” he writes, setting the scene for what follows.

That context leads directly into the admission that underpins his argument. “I know I’m already at a disadvantage compared to players who competed in the World Series events held in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,” Wade adds, framing the early season not around form or ranking points, but around readiness.

For Wade, the gap he describes is structural rather than personal. “It’s simply the reality of the sport,” he explains. “Those who participate in these ‘invitational’ events gain crucial experience in high-pressure situations, especially with the added intensity of performing in front of TV cameras.”

Those words land squarely in the context of the World Series openers in the Middle East, which provided immediate televised matchplay just days after the World Championship. Players involved were forced straight back into competitive rhythm, while others reset away from the oche.

Rather than isolating Littler alone, Wade broadens the frame. “While Luke Littler won in Saudi it was fantastic to see Michael van Gerwen triumph in the first event of the year in Bahrain,” he writes, before turning to what that means moving forward. “His recent performances, including two finals at the World Series indicate that he’ll be entering the event with a tremendous amount of confidence.”

The implication is clear. The edge Wade describes is not unique to one player. It is built into the calendar. Early exposure rewards sharpness, not sentiment, and Wade recognises that before the main tour even gathers momentum.

That perspective carries extra weight given Wade’s recent history with Luke Littler on television. He remains one of the few players to consistently disrupt the teenager’s momentum, beating him at the UK Open in 2024 and again at the European Championship in 2025, the latter proving to be Littler’s final televised defeat of the year. Littler, in turn, responded by beating Wade in the UK Open and World Matchplay finals later in 2025.

Despite conceding ground at the start of the year, Wade makes clear that his intent has not shifted ahead of the 2026 PDC Winmau World Masters. “While exhibitions can be enjoyable and often serve as a light-hearted diversion I’m approaching one particular event with serious intent,” he writes. “I’m determined to win this tournament.”

The message is not one of retreat. It is one of realism. Wade accepts that others arrive sharper, but he also trusts the conditions that have sustained his career for two decades. Longer formats, mounting pressure and repeated TV exposure are environments he has navigated countless times before.

In that sense, his assessment of Luke Littler’s early edge is less about rivalry and more about margins that Wade has spent a career understanding, measuring and surviving.