In numbers: the incredible statistics of Luke Littler

There are still a few majors scheduled in the coming months, but Luke Littler has already had a great debut year at the PDC anyway.

Littler emerged as the player to beat in darts this year, setting the record tournament average for any European Tour semifinalist at the Czech Darts Open. The 17-year-old Englishman had a stunning tournament average of 110.89 over 36 legs, no one ever did better.

That record is far above the previous record of 107.58 set by Michael van Gerwen six years ago. Littler's overwhelming wins against Nathan Aspinall, van Gerwen and Damon Heta were so overwhelming that it even overshadowed Luke Humphries' final victory.

'The Nuke' has yet to celebrate his 18th birthday and has already played 59 professional matches against seven different PDC world champions, 37 of which he won. Remarkably, against none of these seven players did Littler lose more legs than he won. There are only three players on the Pro Tour with a positive win-loss record against Littler. Those are Robert Grundy, Jitse van der Wal and Callan Rydz, noting that all three have played against him only once.

The teenage sensation has beaten the reigning world champion and world number one eight times since their first meeting at Alexandra Palace on Jan. 3.

The match between the two Lukes is already the most contested match in the PDC in 2024 - a total of 181 legs have already been won and lost between the two. Since the oldest player of the two is not yet 20 years old, it has the potential to become the most important rivalry in darts for the rest of the 2020s - and beyond.

Three of Littler's ten highest averages of 2024 came in matches against Van Gerwen, and although MvG averaged 112, 111 and 99 in these three matches, Littler blew him away each time, if we add up leg scores we arrive at 23-7. In his most recent encounter with Littler in the Czech Republic, Van Gerwen produced his second-highest percentage of 2024. Without much effect, however, he lost 6-1. The Dutchman has been known for years as the player with the most overwhelming "A-game," but perhaps he has finally encountered a player who has surpassed him in this respect.

For many, the best match of this year's UK Open was Damon Heta's quarterfinal victory over Luke Littler. Heta rose to the challenge with the highest average of his career in a televised ranking match. He won five legs in a row over Littler and grabbed a lead he would never relinquish. However, Littler has since retaliated in his four encounters with the Australian number one. While notching his highest ProTour average to date, Littler beat Heta by 8 maximums. Moreover, the combined average of 105 that Littler set in five matches against Heta is the best average of any player in any mutual match in the PDC in 2024.