Is winning Grand Slam of Darts a blessing or a curse for World Darts Championship?

Luke Littler crowned himself winner of the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton last Sunday. Meanwhile, at the age of 17, "The Nuke" is already the favorite for the world title at the World Darts Championship. Not only with most darts followers, but also with the betting shops.

But it is not a certainty that the player who wins the Grand Slam of Darts also gets to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy at the World Darts Championship. This did happen in the past two years, but before that this combination was a rarity.

Phil Taylor won between 2007 and 2014, six of the first eight editions of the Grand Slam of Darts. Only after winning the Grand Slam of Darts in 2008 and 2009 did Taylor then also become world champion. This almost succeeded a third time, because after "The Power" won the Grand Slam of Darts in 2014, he lost to Gary Anderson in the World Championship final.

Michael van Gerwen became the second player to achieve this rare double. He became winner of the Grand Slam of Darts in 2016 and then captured his second world title.

Gerwyn Price won the Grand Slam of Darts three times in four editions between 2018 and 2021, but just after the one time he did not take the title (2020), Price became world champion during that period.

Michael Smith did manage the double. At the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, "Bullyboy" captured a major title for the first time in his career. It proved to be the prelude to the world title at the subsequent World Darts Championship. A year later, Luke Humphries also managed to win both the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship. Soon we will know if Luke Littler joins this list.