Preview Saudi Arabia Darts Masters opening night: Van Gerwen aims to go back-to-back with Littler, Humphries, Price also in action

The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters gets underway today in Riyadh. Following the Bahrain Darts Masters, this is already the second World Series of Darts 2026 event. Michael van Gerwen prevailed in Bahrain last week, but can he make it two from two in the coming days?

The inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters features the same eight PDC stars as last week in Bahrain. That includes Van Gerwen, who beat Gian van Veen 8-6 in the Bahrain Darts Masters final. Van Gerwen faces India’s Nitin Kumar in his opener. Van Veen, meanwhile, takes on Motomu Sakai.

There is also interest in how Luke Littler will respond after seeing his streak of 21 consecutive TV wins end in Bahrain. In a repeat of his opening match in Bahrain, “The Nuke” meets living legend Paul Lim. Nathan Aspinall also again hilariously faces Lourence Ilagan.

Below you can find a preview of all first-round matches at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters.

The evening in Riyadh opens with Danny Noppert. The 35-year-old Dutchman seemed a lock for the Premier League Darts but, to his own disappointment, was not selected by the PDC. As a consolation, Noppert was invited to the first two World Series events of the year. Last week he won his opener against Basem Mahmood, then lost 6-1 in the quarterfinals to Gian van Veen.

Noppert will want to improve this week and must first get past Man Lok Leung. The Hong Kong thrower caused an upset at the World Darts Championship two years ago by beating Gian van Veen. He lost to the same Van Veen in the opening round of the Bahrain Darts Masters last week, but Leung again showed he has talent. Noppert will need to be alert to avoid a slip.

Stephen Bunting features in the second match of the night. Unlike Noppert, the 40-year-old Englishman was selected for the Premier League Darts, a decision that drew plenty of criticism. Bunting wanted to silence the doubters, but failed to defend his Bahrain Darts Masters title last week. He lost 6-4 in the quarterfinals to eventual winner Van Gerwen.

At the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters, Bunting faces Japan’s Tomoya Goto in the first round, who has made two prior appearances at the World Darts Championship. He failed to make much impact there, so Bunting should be able to control this tie fairly comfortably.

For the third time in short order, Nathan Aspinall meets Lourence Ilagan. The pair faced off in the opening round of the recent World Darts Championship and again last week in the first round of the Bahrain Darts Masters. Aspinall won both times. Can he make it three out of three at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters?

It won’t be easy, as Aspinall has previously said he finds Ilagan an irritating opponent on stage. The Filipino often takes his time, which “The Asp” doesn’t appreciate. Away from the oche, though, the two get on well.

Michael van Gerwen is next. “Mighty Mike” endured a difficult 2025, affected by private issues, but started the new year superbly by winning the Bahrain Darts Masters. It was a welcome title for the 36-year-old Dutchman, and he will be eager to build on it at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters.

Van Gerwen opens against Nitin Kumar. The Indian produced a minor upset at the recent World Championship by beating Richard Veenstra in round one. Even so, Van Gerwen begins as the overwhelming favorite.

Luke Littler versus Paul Lim is a rerun of their clash last week in the opening round of the Bahrain Darts Masters. The 18-year-old Littler won 6-1 against Lim, who is no fewer than 53 years older. They meet again now, and once more the youngest player in the field is a heavy favorite against the oldest.

Littler, however, spoke with great respect for Lim last week and will not underestimate him. At 71, the Singaporean is still playing at a high level. He proves it almost weekly on the Asian Tour. Littler, meanwhile, has an extra mission: to start another winning streak after his run ended abruptly in Bahrain last week.

Next up are Gerwyn Price and Alexis Toylo. Price ended Littler’s winning streak last week, beating the reigning world champion 6-2 in the quarterfinals. One round later, however, “The Iceman” fell to Van Gerwen. Not entirely a surprise, as Price had indicated beforehand that he had barely practiced after his early exit at the recent World Darts Championship, where he surprisingly lost in the second round to Wesley Plaisier.

At the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters, the 40-year-old Welshman faces Alexis Toylo in the opening round. The Filipino is known for his exceptionally slow throwing style, which gets under many opponents’ skin. We’ll see whether the quick-throwing Price struggles with that.

In the penultimate match of the night, world number two Luke Humphries makes his first appearance. “Cool Hand Luke” endured a disappointing World Championship, losing to Van Veen in the quarterfinals, and last week he also went out in the quarters (this time to Aspinall). Humphries is desperate for another tournament win to boost his morale.

First, though, he has to get past Ryusei Azemoto. The Japanese player also featured at the recent World Darts Championship, where he lost in the opening round to James Wade. He made little impression last week against Stephen Bunting as well, so this should be a straightforward win for Humphries.

The evening in Riyadh concludes with the clash between Gian van Veen and Motomu Sakai. Van Veen fully broke through last year by winning the European Championship and also reached the World Darts Championship final at the start of this year. Littler proved a class above on that occasion, but Van Veen has since climbed into the world’s top three and is now among the elite.

Last week, the 23-year-old Dutchman showcased his blistering form at the Bahrain Darts Masters, where only Van Gerwen stopped him in the final. This week, Van Veen faces Sakai in the opening round. The Japanese player produced a minor upset at the recent World Darts Championship by beating Thibault Tricole in the first round. Last week, he also pushed Price hard in the opening round of the Bahrain Darts Masters, where he lost 6-4 despite a higher average.