Luke Littler: Is world No 1’s UK Open win an ominous sign for darts?

Luke Littler: Is world No 1’s UK Open win an ominous sign for darts? | Darts News

March 10, 2026:

Sky Sports Darts’ John Part believes that Luke Littler’s UK Open victory could be an “ominous sign” for the rest of the PDC field.

Littler picked up an 11-7 win over James Wade in what was a scrappy final to become just the fourth player ever to retain in Minehead alongside Raymond van Barneveld, Phil Taylor, and Michael van Gerwen.

It also continued an incredible 100 per cent success rate in winning major semi-finals, and ‘The Nuke’ has now won a remarkable 12 majors.

On the way to beating Wade, Littler had battled past Damon Heta, Kevin Doets, Gary Anderson, Danny Noppert, and Josh Rock in a tough weekend.

It means he has picked up another major win without admittedly reaching his usually lofty heights, a sign for Part that even Littler’s B game can compete with the top more often than not and until someone puts in a performance against him which “damages his confidence,” the run will continue.

“It is ominous in that sense that he is winning everything anyway. He is not playing his very best, not consistently,” Part told the Love the Darts podcast.

“He is managing games well in terms of getting the job done. I really admire that he’s throwing the darts when needed.

“But he just looks sloppy far too often as well. So, I am thinking even when he played Josh and I don’t even know how Josh got ahead in that match but that could have really been fatal.

“These players who he is doing it against, they are going to remember the next time and they’re going to be eager for another chance to walk into him because they’re not getting just completely slaughtered.

“That is what you want to do as a world No 1. You don’t want there to be any issues.

“The ideal thing is that the only shots for an out they get are the 161 or something and that is the only opportunities you’ll let them have. That is when you’re really playing superb darts.

“Although he isn’t doing that, he is still winning, so we have to wait and see which way it’s going to go.

“The problem is if someone doesn’t get into him and do some damage and really actually bother his confidence, his confidence is going to get even higher.

“He will be thinking that he is not even playing his best and he is winning all these things.”

Wade using PL absence as motivating factor?

For the second year in a row in the UK Open final, Littler came up against Wade, who is off to a brilliant start in 2026 once again.

Many felt ‘The Machine’ was unlucky to miss out on this year’s Premier League but if he continues on this current trajectory, he will be an undeniable pick next time around.

However, for Part, it could be that exclusion which is helping spur Wade on to the current form we are seeing.

“He is definitely on course. I think he had a little bit of a case to get in the Premier League,” Part added.

“But I look at it – if he had got in the Premier League, would he be doing all this now?

“It’s sort of like the response, the indignity, the outrage, whatever he’s feeling inside has been a motivational factor for him as an amateur psychologist here.

“I am thinking that this has all probably worked out to the best for him.

“Certainly, if the Premier League is his deepest desire to get back in there, then if he just keeps this up, I don’t see how he can miss if he gets a major this year.

“The way he is playing, you figure he would probably get something along the lines because he’s playing very well.”

Watch Night Six of Premier League Darts, from Nottingham, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm on Thursday. Stream darts and more sport with NOW, contract-free

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