Tennis star Emma Raducanu wants to meet Luke Littler 'big time' after her fellow British prodigy became the world champion of darts aged just 17. Littler backed up his incredible second-place finish on his debut last year to win the 2025 PDC World Championship earlier this month, beating three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in the final at Alexandra Palace. His stunning rise to fame has drawn comparisons with Raducanu, who became a household name when she won the US Open in 2021 at the tender age of 18.
They may share similar stories but haven't met one another, something which Raducanu would like to do after she found out about Littler's latest feat during a press conference in Australia. "Amazing respect to him, going out and backing it up and winning the title," the 22-year-old said before being asked if she'd be up for meeting Littler.
"Big time," Raducanu replied. "I'd love to meet any top athletes who have succeeded in their fields. Darts is such a precision sport, I'd be so interested to hear what he had to say about it, how he stays focused, because you can be so close but not necessarily execute the final shot. In that sense, it's similar to tennis.".
A match against Littler might be a stretch too far, though, as Raducanu was asked if she ever steps up to the oche. "No, I'm really tragic," she admitted. "I've played with magnetic darts but... no, I need to try it out.". Raducanu can empathise with Littler over the amount of media attention he's currently getting, with cameras never far from the Warrington-born sensation. "Not much prepares you for that, you feel like you're constantly on edge because you're being followed," she added.
