Luke Littler leaves Luke Humphries in no doubt as he makes darts agenda clear
Luke Littler leaves Luke Humphries in no doubt as he makes darts agenda clear
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Luke Littler has aimed a warning at rival Luke Humphries, signalling his intent to take over as the world No. 1 in darts. Despite exiting the World Masters at the quarter-final stage on Sunday afternoon at the hands of Jonny Clayton – who ultimately lost the final to none other than Humphries – Littler is undeterred in his quest for darting dominance. The 18-year-old prodigy – whose stellar year includes winning the World Championship trophy, the World Series Finals, the Grand Slam, and the 2024 Premier League title in his debut season – is confident about his future prospects.
Discussing his ambitions, Littler said: "I know Luke Humphries, I said it earlier on, he's got a lot to defend so maybe I could get to world No. 1.". He also spoke about the pressures facing 'Cool Hand Luke', suggesting that either he or other players might be able to knock Humphries off the top. Littler added: "Yeah. Obviously, we all know Luke's got the capability to go, and well, not retain everything, but to go and defend all the prize money that he won two years back, but I'm hoping that I can either stop him or other players can stop him, so I can get to No. 1.".
Littler, who is currently ranked second in the world, has been vocal about his revenge-seeking against Humphries. The elder Luke won the World Championship final against The Nuke in early 2024, ending his fairytale run at the final hurdle. But since then, Littler has gone on to lift the trophy himself after a 7-3 win over veteran darts player Michael van Gerwen. His quest for the World Masters title was cut short, though, as Clayton ousted the champ to move into the semi-finals. Reflecting on his victory against Littler on Sunday, Clayton told ITV: "He's a cracking guy, a great darts player and he has big future ahead of him.
"He's given me a lesson the last two times I played him. It went my way. It was my day. I hope it carries on tonight and I can win this trophy. I'm relaxed I'm enjoying the tournament and hopefully it can carry on.". Looking forward, Littler is bidding to defend his Premier League title, taking on heavy hitters such as Van Gerwen, Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting over the coming months. The Premier League's curtain-raiser in Belfast on Thursday promises fireworks, with Littler gearing up for a World Championship final rematch against Van Gerwen, while Humphries faces off against Nathan Aspinall.
