World Grand Prix 2026: Draw, Schedule, Preview, Format, History and Predictions

The international darts elite will descend on Leicester from Monday, September 28 to Sunday, October 4 for the World Grand Prix. The Mattioli Arena will provide the setting for seven days of the unique major, which stands apart from the other major PDC tournaments due to its famous double-in format. In this article, we take a look at the World Grand Prix draw, schedule, format and history.

A total of 32 players will compete in the tournament. The 16 highest-ranked players on the world rankings have secured automatic qualification. The field is completed by the 16 best-ranked unseeded players from the Pro Tour.

Defending champion Luke Littler is paired with Luke Woodhouse in the first round. The world number one won the World Grand Prix for the first time twelve months ago and can join an elite group in Leicester. Only Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen have previously won the unique double-in, double-out event in back-to-back years.

Littler is also chasing a clean sweep of the major TV titles in 2026. With Woodhouse, winner of the Baltic Sea Darts Open, the teenager faces a stern first hurdle right away. Luke Humphries also knows his opening opponent. The 2023 champion meets Dave Chisnall, a two-time World Grand Prix finalist.

The 16 seeded players will have protected status during the draw. As a result, they cannot face each other in the opening round. Each seeded player will be drawn against one of the 16 players who qualified through the Pro Tour. Alongside Littler, the seeded names include Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen. They too will begin their campaigns against a qualifier from the Pro Tour rankings, before clashes between seeded players become possible from the second round onwards.

The World Grand Prix gets underway on Monday evening with a clash between Danny Noppert and Niko Springer. For Noppert, this will be his ninth appearance in the double-in, double-out tournament, having reached the semi-finals in both 2021 and 2025. Springer makes his second appearance and, following disappointing results from his compatriots, is Germany's sole representative.

Ross Smith and Cameron Menzies meet in the second match of the evening, with both players arriving in strong form. Smith has already won two Players Championship events and two European Tour titles this season, while earlier this month he also lifted the World Series Finals title. Menzies, meanwhile, won a Players Championship event in Den Bosch just last week.

Nathan Aspinall and Kevin Doets face each other for a place in the second round. The pair also met at last year's World Darts Championship in a dramatic contest, where Doets came out on top 4-3 in sets. This will be the Dutchman's World Grand Prix debut, while Aspinall is making his eighth appearance. The Englishman reached the final in Leicester in 2022.

Midway through the evening, Jonny Clayton and Krzysztof Ratajski go head-to-head. Five years ago, Clayton won what remains his only ranking major at the World Grand Prix. 'The Ferret' has also performed well in the past two editions, reaching a quarter-final and a semi-final. Ratajski has qualified for the event for the seventh time. Only in his first two appearances did 'The Polish Eagle' fail to make it beyond the opening round.

Ratajski is not the only Polish player in Leicester this year, with Sebastian Bialecki also securing qualification at the last moment. Bialecki has made significant progress over the past 18 months and now has two ranking titles to his name.

Against Gerwyn Price, however, he faces one of the world's leading players and one who has been consistently deep into the majors this season. Price has reached the semi-finals of the World Masters, UK Open and Premier League, as well as the finals of the World Matchplay and World Series Finals. He has, though, been waiting since 2022 for another individual major title.

Michael van Gerwen has also gone some time without winning a ranking major. The World Grand Prix is a tournament he has won six times, although the most recent of those titles came in 2022.

Since then, his results in Leicester have been disappointing, with one second-round appearance followed by two first-round exits. In Ryan Joyce, Van Gerwen has drawn an opponent who certainly cannot be underestimated. 'Relentless' is particularly strong on the doubles, an even more important weapon than usual in the World Grand Prix format. That strength helped Joyce reach the semi-finals here in 2024.

Luke Littler begins his title defence against Luke Woodhouse. 'The Nuke' suffered a costly defeat to Jonny Clayton earlier this month, bringing an end to his historic bid to win every televised tournament in a single calendar year.

Woodhouse has continued to progress this season, winning his first Players Championship title before also claiming a European Tour crown. Aside from a semi-final appearance at the 2024 European Championship and a quarter-final at the 2023 Players Championship Finals, however, 'The Shed' is still searching for a major breakthrough on the televised stage.

The opening night concludes with Wessel Nijman against Rob Cross. It is a meeting between the best ProTour performer of the season and a former world champion who has begun to rediscover some of his best form.

Nijman has already won eight ProTour tournaments this year, but is still waiting for his first major quarter-final. He therefore faces a difficult opening test against Cross, who has enjoyed a much-improved season of his own. 'Voltage' has won a Players Championship event and reached a European Tour final, halting his slide down the world rankings and giving himself the chance to start climbing again.

The World Grand Prix occupies a unique place on the PDC calendar. It is the only major tournament to use the so-called double-in, double-out format. Players therefore not only need to finish each leg on a double, but must also hit a double before they can begin scoring.

The World Grand Prix is also played in sets rather than legs. There is particularly little room for error in the opening round, where matches are played over a short best of three sets. As the tournament progresses, the format becomes increasingly longer. In the final, six sets are ultimately required to win the match, with the title decider played over a best of 11 sets.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees James Wade winning the title.

James Wade for me will be bang up for this. He doesn't play the ProTours this week and so will be well rested and has often worked out what to skip to his advantage.

This tournament is more about doubling than anything else and he is the king. Luke Littler apart from against Clayton when he was abject usually is quite good so I stick him up there.

While Ross Smith for me too has been exceptional and so I add him to the mix also when it comes to title contention after winning in Amsterdam. Van Veen, Humphries to be there or thereabouts.

*** James Wade

** Luke Littler, Ross Smith

* Gian van Veen, Luke Humphries

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com sees Jonny Clayton winning it.

One of the most fascinating competitions of the year, the double in-double out format that the World Grand Prix has shown over the years has caught out a number of players in the past.

Luke Littler is the reigning champion but did have some fortunate moments last year against a certain Gerwyn Price. His own skill and the sheer inability of Price to defeat the two-time world champion in a big match got him through it, but I sense some change in this year’s event.

I will not predict a man starting with Luke to win it. Humphries is an instant no for me due to his doubling troubles this year, although he has the capabilities of winning this event with his eyes closed if he gets it right.

Other doubles specialists, including Gian van Veen, James Wade and Jonny Clayton, the latter catching my eye, along with some of the usual suspects like Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson, will be a threat. I feel Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting will struggle once more. Ross Smith will be brimming with confidence after his Amsterdam title heroics, and I can see him in the business end of the event once more.

As hinted, I can see Clayton rolling back the years to 2021 and triumphing on the big stage in Leicester. He will need to be at his absolute clinical best, but he has the tools to seal a first PDC ranking title of 2026 following a promising showing at the World Series of Darts Finals.

*** Jonny Clayton

** Luke Littler, James Wade

* Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Ross Smith

Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com has picked Luke Littler to continue his title-winning form.

The World Grand Prix is always one of the most intriguing tournaments of the year, largely because of its unique double-in format. Players who are usually reliable on the outer ring should theoretically thrive under these conditions, which brings the likes of James Wade and Gian van Veen into the conversation as potential title contenders.

There is, however, one rather significant obstacle standing in their way: Luke Littler. The world champion remains on course to complete an extraordinary clean sweep of the major titles in 2026, and he will undoubtedly be determined to keep that ambition alive in Leicester. For that reason, Littler remains the clear favourite in my eyes.

That said, I expect Wade and Van Veen to have strong tournaments as well. Both players are renowned for their finishing ability, so if they can combine that clinical doubling with consistent scoring, they should be capable of making deep runs. To a slightly lesser extent, the same applies to Jonny Clayton, another player I expect plenty from at this tournament.

Gerwyn Price, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen sit slightly lower on my list of contenders. Price and Humphries would normally be among the leading favourites for virtually any major, but I have a feeling they could struggle to meet expectations in Leicester. At his very best, Price was exceptionally reliable on tops, but recently he has been missing more opportunities on the doubles than we have become accustomed to seeing from him. Humphries, meanwhile, has also looked a little too inconsistent on the outer ring for my liking.

Van Gerwen is an even bigger question mark. The Dutchman has been searching for his best form for quite some time, so it remains difficult to know exactly what version of him will turn up at the oche.

Two outsiders worth keeping an eye on, in my opinion, are Ross Smith and Wessel Nijman. Smith is consistently strong both in the scoring department and on the doubles, which makes him particularly well suited to the World Grand Prix format. If everything clicks, he has the tools required to mount a serious challenge.

Nijman may need to raise his level on the doubles if he wants to compete for the title in Leicester, as that remains an area where he can occasionally let opportunities slip away. However, if the Dutchman can combine his heavy scoring with a strong week on the outer ring, he is capable of causing problems for any opponent in the field.

Favourites

***Luke Littler

**James Wade, Gian van Veen

*Jonny Clayton, Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price

Bram Coenen, Editor for DartsNieuws.com also picks Luke Littler for the title.

Even though he suffered an early exit at the World Series of Darts Finals, in my opinion it would be foolish not to put Luke Littler forward as the overwhelming favourite to retain his World Grand Prix title. Littler still has a chance to win all the ranking majors this calendar year, so he will be even more determined to claim the title in Leicester as well.

So, who should the competition come from? Well, I may surprise some people by putting forward the name of Ross Smith first. Yes, the Englishman is only 14th in the world rankings, so perhaps it is a slightly surprising choice to mention him first after Littler, but Smith has been in sensational form in recent weeks.

He has reached four Euro Tour finals, winning two of them, and last weekend, he also won the World Series of Darts Finals. Smith has already proven that he can win majors and, in his current form, he is a seriously dangerous player.

Luke Humphries should of course never be underestimated either, although he has been somewhat inconsistent lately. A good Humphries, however, is always a contender for the title.

And what about James Wade? He recently won another Euro Tour title and, after more than twenty years at the top of the game, he is still right up there. Wade is desperate to win another major title, so why not at the World Grand Prix?

From a Dutch perspective, I would particularly tip Gian van Veen to go deep in the tournament. He endured a mixed first half of the year following surgery for kidney stones, but in recent weeks he has shown that he is once again approaching his best level.

If he can produce his scoring power, 'GVV' is extremely dangerous.

I am also very curious to see what Wessel Nijman can do. He enjoyed a fabulous first half of the year, winning several titles on the Pro Tour, but he is still waiting for that real breakthrough on the majors.

Can he take the definitive step towards the absolute elite at the World Grand Prix? (edited)

*** Luke Litter

** Ross Smith

* Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, James Wade, Gerwyn Price

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees Luke Humphries as Luke Littler's biggest challenger.

Despite a disappointing World Series of Darts Finals, it is difficult to look past Luke Littler as the favourite to win the double-in, double-out tournament, especially as ‘The Nuke’ also arrives as the defending champion. Nathan Aspinall could potentially give him a tough test in the second round, but beyond that, I see few major obstacles in Littler’s path before the semi-finals. By that stage, the format increases considerably as well, making it increasingly difficult to beat him.

The second quarter features several dangerous outsiders, including Gerwyn Price, Ross Smith, Jonny Clayton and Wessel Nijman, with Price and Smith potentially meeting as early as the second round. That would be a repeat of the World Series of Darts Finals final, in which Smith produced a commanding victory over Price. If Smith can now start delivering similar results in the ranking majors, he will strengthen his case even further for a place in the 2027 Premier League.

Littler’s biggest challenger, however, is Luke Humphries, who faces Dave Chisnall in his opening match. The latter has not been in particularly impressive form, but ‘Chizzy’ has already shown that the World Grand Prix format suits him, having reached two finals at the event in the past. Another contender for me is James Wade, who has already picked up two titles in recent weeks and is, of course, always a dangerous opponent when it comes to the doubles.

*** Luke Littler

** Luke Humphries, James Wade

* Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE sees Van Veen and Ross Smith as nearest challengers.

The World Grand Prix finally signals the start of the most exciting — and, for me, the best — part of the darts season. Even after his clean-sweep bid came to an end at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, I do not think there is much of a debate over who will lift the trophy in Leicester: Luke Littler will successfully defend his title.

Behind him, one player in particular appears to be hitting top form at exactly the right time: Ross Smith. Unfortunately for “Smudger”, however, he has landed in the same half of the draw as the World Champion. I expect Littler and Smith to meet in the semi-finals — with “The Nuke” ultimately coming out on top.

In the other half of the draw, there are two players I am particularly keen on. Although Gian van Veen has not quite managed to build on his World Championship final this season, his form has been trending firmly in the right direction in recent weeks. And, in my opinion, the Dutchman is quite simply one of the best, coolest and most consistent players in the game when it comes to the outer ring. At the World Grand Prix, with its unique double-in format, that is obviously a huge weapon to have.

For much the same reason, I also fancy James Wade to make a strong run in Leicester. In form, ice-cool under pressure and relentlessly reliable on the doubles — “The Machine” in a nutshell. If my prediction plays out, Van Veen and Wade will meet in the quarter-finals.

Favourites

***Luke Littler

**Gian van Veen, Ross Smith

*James Wade, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price