World Darts Championship already producing a flurry of records: Statistics underscore a spectacular opening foray

After two matchdays of the World Darts Championship, it’s time for an initial stocktake. With 95 matches played across thirteen intense days, the tournament at Alexandra Palace has made a strong impression not only on the oche but also in the numbers. The data confirms what the eye already suggested: an exceptionally open and high-quality world championship.

One of the most striking facts is the number of seeded players who exited early. No fewer than seventeen of the 32 seeds fell in the first two rounds. That is a new record at the World Darts Championship and highlights how fine the margins at the top level have become.

Despite that cull among the seeds, a few heavyweights are still in the hunt. Defending champion Luke Littler is on track to retain his world title. Former winner Luke Humphries and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen also remain serious contenders.

In addition, Gian van Veen has firmly put himself in the spotlight. The reigning European champion has posted the highest average of the tournament so far and, when play resumes after Christmas, can count himself among the outsiders for the £1 million top prize.

Official data provider Sportradar tracked every dart thrown to this point. With 31 matches still to play before the final on Saturday 01/03/2026, the figures paint an impressive picture of the tournament’s intensity.

So far, 45,552 darts have been thrown across 1,486 legs. The number of maximums stands at 678, a pace that could produce a historic total by the business end.

The highest checkout is currently shared by multiple players. The maximum 170 checkout has already been hit by Rob Cross, Gabriel Clemens, Brendan Dolan, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Krzysztof Ratajski, Nathan Aspinall, Joe Cullen, James Wade, and Gian van Veen. Never before have so many 170s been thrown at the World Darts Championship. The chances are high the new record will reach double digits.

Notably, it’s not just the established names topping the 180s list. Justin Hood and Connor Scutt lead the way with sixteen maximums. Gary Anderson and Danny Noppert follow with fifteen.

Behind them are the likes of Gian van Veen, Dave Chisnall, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and James Hurrell, all on thirteen 180s. Martin Schindler and Callan Rydz are also among the front-runners with twelve maximums.

The highest match average of the tournament currently belongs to Gian van Veen. In his win over Alan Soutar he posted a 108.28 average. Gary Anderson follows with 105.41 against Connor Scutt.

Justin Hood (103.01 against Danny Noppert), William O’Connor (102.36 against Krzysztof Kciuk), and Danny Noppert himself (102.27 against Hood) complete the top five. Luke Littler, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman, and Michael van Gerwen have also averaged over 100.

Looking at averages across the tournament, Gian van Veen again leads with a tournament average of 103.32. Justin Hood follows with 101.97.

Danny Noppert also has a tournament average over a hundred at 100.08. Gary Anderson, Luke Littler, Andrew Gilding, and Luke Humphries sit just below that magic mark.

Clear trends are also visible on the doubles. Damon Heta tops the list for checkout percentage at 56.41 percent. Wesley Plaisier follows at 55.56 percent, ahead of Ryan Searle and Luke Littler, who are both at 54.55 percent.