The forgotten Grand Slam threat - Can Gerwyn Price end his four-year major drought in Wolverhampton?

Gerwyn Price was once the master of the Grand Slam of Darts. Between 2018 and 2021, he won the title in three of those four editions, a reflection of his pomp on the oche. However, we go into the 2026 tournament with Price not in the same category as favourites as the likes of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. Without a major title in over four years, this could be ‘The Iceman’s’ chance to put his name back on the map.

A synonymous figure among the elite darters, Price suffered a dip in form a couple of years ago but has seemed to find another gear in recent times. This season has proven that with incredible consistency at the highest level of the sport in some of the biggest events.

However, there is still that major drought he is yet to shake off. Whatever he does, the Welsh number one has been unable to get over the line. He has reached three major finals in 2026, playing three different opponents and losing in all three.

His killer instinct has seemingly vanished when getting to the final hurdle, but that does not mean that he is still a big threat when it comes to these events. Maybe not at the level of rivals such as Littler and Humphries, but write him off at your peril.

After losing in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship against Wesley Plaiser, the former world champion left Ally Pally determined to make things right.

A rampant Littler and phenomenal James Wade halted his title charges in the semi-finals of the Winmau Masters and UK Open, but the signs looked good.

He was back in Premier League Darts contention. A year before, there were question marks over his inclusion. Now, he wanted to make a statement. A purple patch in the middle was enough to see him qualify for the finals, but again Littler was there to halt his run in a last-leg decider. A familiar trend.

Away from the major stage, he was seriously impressing. He only featured in two of the first eight European Tour events but reached the final in both of them. He got the better of Ross Smith in the European Darts Grand Prix, and a title in Players Championship 6 proved he could produce the goods in business end of tournaments.

Then, the World Matchplay. Price reached a second final in Blackpool but was just a bystander with ‘The Nuke’ smashing everyone in his path. He had another chance to make things right in the World Series of Darts Finals final, the scene of his last major title in 2022. Smith would accelerate away from him and left the 41-year-old with some thinking to do.

The game was there, but it was just about finishing the job. A third consecutive major final was confirmed at the World Grand Prix. He took a 3-0 lead against Humphries in the double-in, double-out format. He flexed his supreme tops hitting but ultimately fell short in a familiar trend. He did not seem too bothered about it afterwards, maybe a factor in all of this. He last competed at the European Championship but failed to produce his best stuff as Smith prevailed once more en route to more glory.

Price’s standards are a lot higher than most players. That comes with him being a former world number one and world champion, with seven major titles collected in his time on the PDC Tour between 2018 and 2022. He knows how to win, except that may not feel like it at the moment.

For a player of Price’s qualities, it is incredible for him not to have won something recently. His last six major finals all ended in the same result. His inability to top the podium has been well documented, but when you look deeper into his major form in 2026, the results are closer than they may seem.

He lost by either a single set or leg against Littler in the Masters and Premier League final, while averaging a very commendable 104.92 in the Matchplay final, being bettered by a 111.53 average by the 19-year-old phenom.

In bursts, Price can be unbeatable. A tournament-record set average in the World Grand Prix tallied at 132.62 was exceptional, but he could not repeat that and was reeled in by Humphries.

Price is a world class darts player. That is out of the question. He can compete with these top players, but it feels that the two Luke’s always have the jump on him. While they can keep a ridiculously high level for leg after leg, a dip in the Price game can be unearthed and costly. The performances are there. The next stage is to transfer that into victory, and he will have another chance of that in Wolverhampton.

Price at his best is mesmering. He combines heavy scoring with a keen eye on the double 20 segment. When he finds his range on tops, only a monumental performance will be enough to keep up with the Welshman.

However, he is normally put in that position with his exceptional scoring skills, allowing him to have time to find that winning double and alleviating the pressure against some opponents. Price can reach extremely high levels. The only problem is that unlike other players, he has been unable to keep at these high standards.

The World Grand Prix final is a notable example of this. Averaging 109.84 in the first three sets en roue to a 3-0 lead with that record-breaking set average in the double-in double-out propelled Price away from Humphries. His average ended at 95.37 as Humphries moved up the gears and won six of the next seven legs to win the major title. While it was a huge ask to keep up that incredible pace from the off over the finishing line, you simply cannot drop down a level or two in a championship match against either Littler or Humphries.

In the World Series of Darts Finals final, he took a 4-1 lead at the first interval. He failed to put in a good enough performance and won just three more legs in the entire final, as Smith took home another major title. When it matters most, Price has not produced the goods. While that should not resemble his quality on the oche, the best players leave something left in the tank for the climax match. Price seems to run out of gas.

While it may not feel like it, Price is starting to reach his prior heights. He is currently set to surpass his 2021 seasonal average and checkout rate. That was the year he became world champion and rose to world number one. The game is there, but not when he needs it the most.

A serious problem is when playing Littler and Humphries. Price has played 'The Nuke' 10 times this year and lost on each occasion. It is slightly better against Humphries, but only three from nine with no wins in the last four matchups make for grim reading.

These stats show that Price is not reaching the levels of Littler and Humphries in the scoring phase. This puts him on the back foot and especially over longer formats leave him more vulnerable. It also puts more emphasis on the end of the leg, with him needing to be especially clinical when attempting to get over the line. His numbers are still a lot better than most of the PDC Tour, but when challenging for the biggest titles, Price needs to be in the same bracket as the best, and this just backs up the feeling that he is leading the best of the rest.

Another major tournament is on the horizon, and another chance for Price to end this miserable drought. He has the advantage over other players by knowing how to navigate the group stage and transition into the knockout phase and longer format. This is shown by him having won this title on three separate occasions.

The last one did come in 2021, and his form since has not been great. A quarter-final and second round exit in 2022 and 2023 were culminated by a lull in Price's form, failing to qualify for the 2024 edition. He has since found his feet on stage once more with a tight semi-final defeat against Humphries last year. An improved result, but the beginning of a familiar trend.

He goes into this tournament in blistering form thanks to his recent deep runs, but it is just getting over the line that is the problem. He has a favourable group, taking on Sebastian Bialecki and Joe Hunt. He will expect to win both ties and blast into the knockout stage with little fuss, but nothing is guaranteed in darts.

Price is going into this tournament as one of the favourites. He is still not on par with the two Luke's, but there is every chance that they could slip-up. Littler has suffered a bit of a blip on the major stage in the last few competitions, while inconsistency and doubling troubles has been troubling Humphries all season.

This is where Price comes in. He has not capitalised on this so far this season, but another opportunity commences this Saturday. It is also a hugely important tournament when you look and see what the winners in the past have gone on to do at Ally Pally. Price in 2020, Smith in 2022, Humphries in 2023, Littler these prior two years. You win this title, and you gain a lot of confidence, momentum and form that have carried onto winning the world title. Price has the game to win the Grand Slam of Darts. If he finds that final piece of the puzzle and boosts his game by an extra gear in the business end, then we could be in a reality where Price is a four-time Grand Slam of Darts winner, but that is still a long way off.