“It’s a better draw than I could have got” – Max Hopp senses opportunity to mark return to PDC World Darts Championship after a five-year absence in style

On Monday evening in London, the final step towards the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship was taken: the draw is complete, and every player now knows their potential route to the title. For Max Hopp, his long-awaited return to the Ally Pally stage begins with a first-round clash against Martin Lukeman.

Speaking to Sport1, Hopp reacted to his draw. In recent years he had been working as a pundit at the World Championship, but after a four-year absence he will finally return to the Alexandra Palace as a player. “I’m looking forward to facing Martin Lukeman, and especially to returning to Ally Pally,” said the 29-year-old.

Hopp immediately sized up his opponent. “He’s currently ranked 38th in the world, and we’ve both got plenty of stage experience.” Lukeman shocked many last year by reaching the Grand Slam final, though he was soundly beaten there by Luke Littler.

Hopp also pointed out that he himself reached a major semi-final back in Dortmund in 2018. The German fancies his chances.

Although the Englishman sits several places above him in the rankings and reached the final of the Grand Slam of Darts in 2025, Hopp views the draw positively: “It’s better than some of the opponents I could have got.”

Added to that, Lukeman looked far from the form that made him a major finalist in 2024 at recent editions of both the Grand Slam and the Players Championship Finals. He produced his weakest average, switched darts multiple times and never found any rhythm. That, Hopp feels, could be his opening. The winner of the match will then face Luke Woodhouse or Boris Krcmar – both dangerous, but far from unbeatable.

From a German perspective, the draw as a whole also looks relatively kind Hopp assesses. “There’s definitely something in this for the Germans! We’ve got ties we can handle,” he previews with a smile.

At the same time, he issued a warning: “Gabriel Clemens can’t underestimate Alex Spellman. Grülllich has picked up a tough one in Wattimena – he’s playing brilliantly at the moment. But he can surprise too – the World Championship has never been this open.”

In the coming days the PDC will publish the detailed schedule, at which point every player will know exactly when they’re on stage – and can tailor their preparation accordingly. For Hopp though, when he's playing is a small detail. The big positive is the fact he's back on the sport's biggest stage.