"Most players are probably beaten before they’ve got on stage": Luke Littler admits sense of aura before Springer World Matchplay opener
PDCSaturday, 18 July 2026 at 15:30
One year after his maiden World Matchplay triumph, Luke Littler returns to the Winter Gardens as the man everyone wants to beat. Since lifting the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy 12 months ago, the English sensation has completely dominated the sport of darts. Almost every major televised ranking event on the PDC Order of Merit has since fallen his way, with only the European Championship still missing from his remarkable collection of titles.
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Now 19 years old and world number one, Littler has added the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals, PDC World Darts Championship, World Masters and UK Open to his trophy cabinet during that period. In an astonishingly short space of time, he has established himself as the dominant force of the current darts era.
In Blackpool, Littler has the opportunity to make more history. Victory would make him just the fourth player ever to successfully defend the World Matchplay title, joining Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
“I’d love to put myself in the category of players to go back-to-back at the Matchplay,” confessed Littler as per PDC. “I think this ranks around second or third, obviously, Ally Pally is at the top, but the Matchplay is very special."
According to Littler, that's not just because of the tournament's prestige. “It’s not far from home. I think I can stay at home for maybe a few games. Hopefully I can win it again and go back-to-back.”
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From painful debut to historic breakthrough
Littler's first taste of the World Matchplay in 2024 was anything but straightforward. On his debut he was immediately drawn against three-time champion Michael van Gerwen. Despite averaging well over 100, Littler lost 10-6 to the Dutchman.
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A year later, he completely rewrote that story. During his title-winning run, Littler averaged over 105 across the entire tournament and capped his stunning campaign with an 18-13 victory over James Wade in the final. He produced a 107.24 average in that match and became the youngest World Matchplay champion in history.
Luke Littler won the 2025 World Matchplay and completed the Triple Crown
Remarkably, his title charge looked to be over on several occasions. In three of his five victories, Littler found himself trailing by five legs or more, yet each time he fought back to complete an extraordinary comeback.
“Last year, I turned all the wrongs into rights,” continued Littler, who takes on Niko Springer in his opening match.
“On my debut in 2024, it wasn’t easy, losing to Michael van Gerwen. I think I played a good game against Michael still, but that was when he was at his best.
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“Last year there were quite a few times I was 5-0 down, but I found a way to get myself out of it and crawl back into the game and get over the line.
In the opening round of this year's edition, Littler faces Niko Springer, but he believes no opponent should step onto the stage already expecting to lose.
“I think most players are probably beaten before they’ve got on stage, which shouldn’t be the case because it’s darts, anything can happen. For myself, it’s just that ‘never give up’ mentality."
Longer matches play into the world champion's hands
The longer matches, for which the World Matchplay is renowned in the later rounds, are one of Littler's greatest strengths, and the statistics back that up.
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The two-time world champion has won 30 of the 31 matches in his career that have been played over 20 legs or more. His only defeat in such a contest came in the 2023/24 World Championship final against Luke Humphries, when Littler did not yet even hold a PDC Tour Card. Even so, he knows just how physically demanding the World Matchplay can become.
“This is a tough one,” said Littler on the gruelling length of matches in Blackpool. As soon as you get the first two games out of the way, the format gets longer and longer, and being on stage for ages, it gets hotter and hotter."
Yet Littler actually sees that as an advantage. “But I like that. I can grow into the game and get better as the game goes on.”
Eyes fixed on another unprecedented achievement
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Even in 2026, Littler has remained almost untouchable. Alongside defending his Premier League title, he also teamed up with Luke Humphries to win his first World Cup of Darts with England.
Remarkably, the world number one has lost just one ranking televised match throughout the calendar year. Only Niels Zonneveld managed to beat him, at the Belgian Darts Open in March.
Despite an already overflowing trophy cabinet, Littler is already looking beyond simply defending his title in Blackpool.
“The clean sweep is on,” proclaimed Littler. To achieve that, he will still need to play Players Championship events later in the season in order to qualify for the Players Championship Finals.
“If I do win the Matchplay, then we’ll have to see about some ProTours as well.
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“As the tournament goes on, hopefully I can reach another final, and defend it again.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- How many times can fatty Bunting say listen, listen, listen....... I definitely don't want to see him for another 10 years, although looking at him, I don't think we will...you know what I mean.richieburnettrocks19-07-2026
- Don't worry Vinman, England will not be in the final.richieburnettrocks16-07-2026
- Ultimately, Vin man knew when to call it quits. Barney was excellent and one of the greatest darts player ever, but he just doesn't have that ability anymore. Vinman working in media is only saying what he thinks and I like how he doesn't sugar coat things and is completely honest and direct with his comments. Vinman will probably agree he wasn't really on the same level as Barney in their respective heydays.richieburnettrocks13-07-2026
- I agree that this season the format was a bit stale, it would be better to have some new faces rotated in through the season. I also think they should vary the format a bit as it doesn't count for rankings, they could have different varieties of 501 (e.g. double start) or just different challenges.mikedarts03-07-2026
- I don't really understand why its an issue that Littler doesn't play in the events, they are barely televised so there is no draw for marketing and it gives the other players a better chance to define their narratives. The events are more of a throw back to old events. I agree that the format should be looked at, I don't know why they don't do a more interesting format or vary it through the season to improve interestmikedarts03-07-2026
- This shows they have the prize money structure wrong then (and OoM as a result). Put more £ into the floor, less on the TV and you'll attract more players to attend more often.BandB03-07-2026
- He's admitted his mistakes. He won't be the first or last player to get sent down,or take drugs. I honestly didn't like the lad,but at least he's owning up to his issues. So,good luck. In whatever he decides to dorick6702-07-2026
- Not everyone wants to watch pub players throwing 70 averages for about £500. Premier League is indeed a cash cow, but it does its job of promoting the game. This new suggestion for changes is one of the better ones. Even better if everyone knew what they had to do to qualify and it isn't just a walk-on popularity contest.StraightArrowNoBull01-07-2026
- I have a suggestion,scrap the whole thing. It's a pointless cash cow for anyone in the top 10.rick6730-06-2026
- Well nobody made him bet!! It's his own fault,if wants to lose money,then he shouldn't call Gerwyn out! He averaged 103,I would think the losing betting idiot could average 40! If you don't want to risk losing,keep your money in your pocket!rick6728-06-2026
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