"That’s the one he’ll be most aware of" - Luke Littler has one name to be wary of at PDC World Darts Championship

Reigning world champion Luke Littler can have few complaints about his draw for the 2026 World Darts Championship. The Nuke has been handed an opening run packed with opponents he is widely expected to sweep aside, leaving the path to a second world title seemingly wide open. Yet Vincent van der Voort has identified one potential rival who could seriously test the 18-year-old sensation.

Littler begins his campaign on Thursday night, December 11, in the tournament’s opening session with a clash against Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas, maintaining the tradition of the world champion stepping onto the stage early. Victory there—which most observers would consider routine—would set up a second-round meeting with either Mario Vandenbogaerde or David Davies. A possible third-round lineup of Joe Cullen, Damon Heta, or Rob Cross awaits beyond that.

All three, however, are far from their best at present, making Littler’s early path look particularly favourable on paper. The real threat, Van der Voort warns, may only arrive in the quarter-finals, where The Iceman Gerwyn Price is a strong candidate to emerge.

“Price is incredibly consistent,” Van der Voort noted. “If they both reach that stage, everything points toward Price pushing him. He doesn’t tend to lose to players below his level—but against Littler…”

Ultimately, Van der Voort believes the tournament hinges on which version of Littler turns up. “If he plays like he has in recent months, he’ll just win again. But a Price–Littler quarter-final on New Year’s Day… that would be something special.”

Even with Price looming as the one man capable of derailing Littler’s title defence, Van der Voort still sees the teenager as the overwhelming favourite to lift the trophy once more. “He’s been incredibly fortunate with the draw. This section is full of players out of form. I think Luke’s main hope is simply to avoid Price in the quarter-finals—that’s the one he’ll be most aware of, if he’s looking at anyone at all. Right now, there’s no real measure for him. We’ll have to see who can actually push him. A surprise can always come from nowhere,” the Dutchman concluded.