“It doesn’t feel good, especially when you lose like this” – Bitter disappointment for Gian van Veen after heavy defeat in PDC World Darts Championship final against Littler

Gian van Veen ended his first PDC World Darts Championship final with a clear defeat. At Alexandra Palace, Luke Littler proved far too strong for the Dutchman with a 7-1 sets win, and afterwards Van Veen made no excuses as he openly identified where the match turned. A missed chance in the second set proved decisive in hindsight.

“Not the outcome I wanted, of course,” Van Veen said immediately afterwards during his press conference. “I said before the game that I wanted to win this title, but first of all I wanted to give Luke a game, because he’s a fantastic player. I wanted it to be close, because I knew if it was close, I’d have a chance. That didn’t happen today.”

Van Veen started the final without hesitation and kept pace with Littler in the opening phase. The Dutchman even had opportunities to seize control early. "I missed a dart to go 2–0 up in sets," he said. “Looking back, that was probably the game.”

That missed set gave Littler exactly what he needed. “It gave him confidence,” Van Veen noted. "From then on he was outscoring me, I missed a few darts at doubles, he was out-finishing me — and there’s no stopping Luke Littler at that moment.” The pattern became clear quickly. Throughout the tournament, Van Veen often got a second chance after missing a dart at double, but against Littler that chance rarely came. “He puts you under pressure in every leg, every set,” Van Veen explained. “You can’t miss too much. If you leave a double after twelve darts, you usually don’t get a second chance.”

The final wasn’t decided by one bad spell from Van Veen, but by Littler’s consistency in the crucial moments. "I left doubles after nine or twelve a lot, and if I missed, that was it. He punished me every time," he stated.

According to the Dutchman, that’s the difference. “He puts you under so much pressure. I did that well against other players this tournament, but not today.” The second set in particular stuck with him. “Especially that 127 checkout on double eight,” Van Veen said. "The leg before, I missed it on the wire, and then Luke took out 60 on the last dart — and he kept doing that all match."

The sense of inevitability grew quickly. “You see him there every time: inside, outside, double, last dart. And then he starts the next leg with 140, 180. That hurts.”

Van Veen admitted he felt how the match was unfolding even during play. “When I was 5-1 and 6-1 down, I knew Luke wouldn’t collapse,” he said. “He knows what it’s like to become world champion. He keeps piling on pressure, doesn’t miss match darts.”

The 7-1 scoreline was harsh, but didn’t come out of nowhere for Van Veen. “It’s a heavy defeat,” he acknowledged. “Especially in a World Championship final. But I didn’t play badly. Luke was just much better today.”

Not even the unusual stoppage, when the board was replaced due to blood after a small accident during the break, was something Van Veen wanted to cite. “It was my left hand,” he said. “It didn’t affect my game.”

He also stayed calm about the now infamous ‘Ally Pally wasp.’ “It comes with the territory,” he said. “This was my first time with the wasp.”

The immediate feeling afterwards was disappointment. "Right now, though, you’ve just lost a World Championship final, and especially losing 7–1, that hurts," van Veen said. At the same time, he knew the appreciation for his tournament would come later. "In a couple of days or weeks I’ll be very, very proud. Not yet.”

That feeling is understandable given the path Van Veen took in London. Before this year, he hadn’t won a match at Alexandra Palace. At this World Championship he beat Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries, both former world champions. “It feels different now,” he said. “But half an hour later I’m of course proud of what I produced this tournament.”

Van Veen believes the defeat will shape his development. “It will drive me on a lot,” he said. “Now I know what it’s like to play in a final, and I also know what it’s like to lose one." He was candid about it. “It doesn’t feel good, especially when you lose like this. But if I’m ever in a final again, I’ll know what to expect.”

The final capped an exceptional year for Van Veen. He became European champion, climbed to third in the world rankings and is now the new Dutch number one. "2025 has been the best year of my career," he said. "The best year of my life so far."

His private life also played a part. “Bought a house with my girlfriend, moved in together, all in all it was a fantastic year.”

A new chapter awaits Van Veen in 2026. As world number three and Dutch number one, he will make his Premier League debut. “I’m looking forward to playing on Thursday nights for sixteen weeks,” he said. “And to all the World Series events.”

The Dutchman stressed he wants to enjoy every opportunity. “You never know if it’s the first or the last time, so I’m going to enjoy every minute.”

At the same time, his approach remains unchanged. “For me the mindset doesn’t change,” he said. “I treat the World Series, Premier League, UK Open and European Tours the way I always have. As a chance to play well and go deep.”