Just over a year ago, Luke ‘The Nuke’ Litter was a name known only to those who had followed the PDC Youth Championship. Darts was a sport that people would watch when there was “nothing else to watch” and people would go just for a good time rather than to enjoy the sport on show. But the rise of Luke Littler has seen darts become a sport appreciated by the masses.
Before this year's World Championships, the number of young people playing darts had doubled and the numbers have likely gone up even more since. Darts has become the fastest growing sport for children in Wales and even online content creators have started playing the sport, with influencer events becoming more and more common.
This all comes down to Littler’s success in his first full year as a professional player, including 11 PDC titles and winning the Premier League. A 17-year-old from Warrington has changed the sport forever.
Littler’s Championship Victory
A thrilling final vs Michael van Gerwen on Friday night saw Littler win the grandest of prizes in darts. ‘Mighty Mike’, known as one of the greatest players ever, could not stop the teenager. ‘The Nuke’ raced into a 4-0 lead and eventually won the game 7-3 after an entertaining contest.
Littler won six out of the first seven legs and averaged over 115 in the second set, leaving van Gerwen with no chance to get a set back. The third set wasn’t as impressive but the Dutchman’s struggle on the doubles allowed Littler to take a 3-0 lead.
It took another set for Michael van Gerwen to get a point on the board, clinching the fifth set with a 132 checkout on the bullseye to end Littler’s winning streak. The Englishman responded well and restored his four-set lead but van Gerwen fought back to make it 5-2.
The following set was won 3-0 by Littler against the throw to put him just one set away from his dream. ‘Mighty Mike’s’ quality showed, breaking bad to make it 6-3 before Littler clinched victory in the 10th set of the match. The champagne finish of a 132 (Bull, Bull, D16) was nearly the winning darts but the final double was just missed, with Littler taking the win on his next visit.
Both players averaged over 100 in the final and 25 180s were hit by the pair; Littler’s 12 maximums resulted in him winning the Ballon d’Art, for the most 180s hit in the tournament. Off the treble 20, he also impressed on the doubles with several near misses at a 9 darter but clinical finishing throughout the tournament. In the final Littler’s double success was 56%, while van Gerwen’s was just 37%.
How Special is Luke Littler?
The previous record for youngest player to win the World Championship was held by van Gerwen when he defeated Peter Wright at the age of 24. Littler has made this record nearly impossible to break, despite having a chance himself last year. While ‘The Nuke’ didn’t win the Championship last year, he did reach the final and lost out to Luke Humphries after taking a 4-2 set lead and missing darts to make it 5-2. Humphries was knocked out by Peter Wright, ending the hopes of a repeat of last year's final in the semi. But nobody could stop the teenager from clinching victory.
A 17-year-old being top of any sport would be considered a miracle, even Messi and Ronaldo weren’t as highly regarded at 17. Luke Litter is the true definition of a generational talent, and he has already made history. But he hasn’t just reached the top of a sport, he has also increased its popularity by millions. In 2024, the viewing figures of darts had increased by 84.92% from the previous year according to OLBG.
Not just a special player, but a special man.