World champion Luke Littler clinched his first World Grand Prix title on Sunday night, defeating Luke Humphries 6–1 in Leicester to move closer to the world number one spot.
The 18-year-old, who was knocked out in the first round of the double-in, double-out tournament last year, delivered a composed performance throughout this year’s competition. Despite recording a lower average than Humphries in the final, Littler was clinical in decisive moments, winning five of his six sets in final-leg deciders.
The victory earned Littler £120,000 in prize money and marked his seventh major televised title — placing him joint-seventh on the all-time list of Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) champions.
With the win, Littler has narrowed the gap between himself and Humphries to just over £70,000 at the top of the PDC world rankings, as both players head towards the World Championships in December.
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“This is my time and I’ve just got to keep going,” Littler said during a post-match press conference. “Until I get that world number one spot, I will never call myself the best in the world. Whoever’s number one, they’re the best.”
Littler also noted that Humphries will have to defend significant prize money from last year’s tournaments, including the Grand Prix, Players Championship, and World Championship, which could further shift the rankings in his favour.
Humphries, reacting to his defeat, admitted that he needs to intensify his training to keep pace with Littler.
“I have to just get better, practise harder,” he told Sky Sports. “If I don’t, he will just run away with everything. I want to match him.”
Littler’s victory reinforces his growing dominance in the sport and sets the stage for an intense battle for the world number one ranking ahead of the year’s final major events.
