Luke Littler’s incredible rise to world number one darts has been completed by qualifying for the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts finals.
Littler defeated Danny Knoppert 16-9 in the semi-final at Wolverhampton. The win will be enough for the 18-year-old to overtake Luke Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit and become darts’ number one.
It marks the latest in the teenage sensation’s meteoric rise to revolutionize the sport.
In just two years, Littler rose from world championship runner-up in his qualifying debut to world champion and world No. 1 with eight major titles.
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Luke Littler retained his Grand Slam of Darts crown with a convincing victory over Luke Humphries.
Littler is now officially the youngest PDC World No. 1 in history at 18 years and 299 days old, the previous record being held by Michael van Gerwen in 2014 at 24 years and 251 days.
Littler won his first world title at Alexandra Palace in January and continues his remarkable trajectory into his 2025 season.
In addition to winning three major titles – World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and UK Open, Littler also enjoyed success at the Australian Darts Masters, New Zealand Darts Masters, Belgian Darts Open, Flanders Darts Trophy and Players Championship 32.
Additionally, he defended his Grand Slam of Darts title against Humphries, becoming only the fourth player in history to play back-to-back matches at Wolverhampton on the same day as he rose to the top of the world.
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Luke Littler had two big finishes at 167 and 160, with Luke Humphries teasing “The Nuke.”
“I’ve only been on tour for less than two years and I’m already No. 1 in the world. I’m done. But I have a bigger fight tonight,” Littler said.
“I’ve been saying all year that Luke Humphries is the best in the world, and now I’m the best in the world.
“Once I crossed the line and knew I was No. 1, I focused on the final.
“Luke played really well. I told him it was a weird, weird game, but I’m glad we won.”
“Back to back!”
23 Months of Business Ends |This Means War!
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Highlights of the Grand Slam of Darts semi-final between Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price
Humphries has confirmed he will overtake Michael Smith to become world number one in 2023. He needed to reach the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship in 2023 and he achieved just that.
Since then, he has obviously won the world title against Littler, won the Premier League, World Match Play, Masters, World Cup, and defended the Players Championship.
But Littler’s record in major tournaments means he has done well enough to take over from his rival and namesake.
Currently, Humphries is keen to stay at the top for an extended period of time and prepare for a “battle” at the world championships.
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Luke Humphries has shared his thoughts after reaching the Grand Slam of Darts final with a 16-13 win over Gerwyn Price to challenge Luke Littler for the world number one spot.
“This could be my last day as world number one, who knows? But tonight it’s not about that, it’s about winning this trophy that really started my career,” Humphries said.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I hope he (Littler) wins. He’ll beat me anyway. If Danny wins, that would be great, but a great final with Luke is something I’m always looking forward to.”
“When I go to the World Championships, I’m going to fight hard to get it back from him. It’s a war now! I’m going to work hard to get it back.”
How do rankings work?
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Luke Humphries has declared he intends to play Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship after the two exchanged a friendly word after Littler’s Grand Slam of Darts win.
The Werner Ranking Ladder (PDC World Ranking) is based on the prize money won by players in ranking tournaments over a two-year period.
That means Humphries has kept a lot of money safe as he raced to win Grand Prix, Grand Slams, Players Championships and World Championships.
Meanwhile, Littler has continued to win the tournaments that “Cool Hand” is aiming to win.
Before the Grand Slam, there was a £72,000 difference between the two rooks, but after reaching the final for the second year in a row, Littler now has a £81,500 lead. If he wins in the final, he will advance by £161,500.
Webster: Does it matter that Humphries falls to No. 2 in the world?
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Luke Littler wins Darts Grand Slam and shows off his dance moves as he lifts the Eric Bristow Trophy
Mark Webster of Sky Sports:
“It was a great show, it’s what we associate with Luke Humphries.
“For now, this may be the last time he is number one. Things can change. He came here to win the title and that was the form to win the title.”
“Given the scale of things, does it matter? I’m going to keep winning events and put myself back into the equation.”
What’s next?
The next major TV show to be broadcast live on Sky Sports is the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace from December 11th to January 3rd. Stream darts, soccer, golf, cricket and more now with no contract.
