Under the bright lights of Leicester’s Mattioli Arena, where the air hums with anticipation and the faint echo of clinking pints, the 2025 BoyleSports World Grand Prix kicked off with a bang—or more precisely, a barrage of bullseyes. This isn’t your standard darts showdown; it’s the double-in gauntlet, a format as unforgiving as it is iconic, demanding players to commence every leg with a double, turning the oche into a high-wire act of precision and patience. For the 32 elite throwers assembled from October 6 to 12, the stakes are sky-high: a £600,000 prize pot, ranking points that could reshape the PDC Order of Merit, and the prestige of conquering one of the sport’s most dreaded majors. And right in the thick of it, the teenage tornado known as Luke Littler wasted no time reminding everyone why he’s the name on every dart aficionado’s lips.
Fresh off his PDC World Championship triumph earlier this year—a crown that solidified his status as the sport’s prodigious phenom—Littler, the 18-year-old from Warrington, entered as the second seed behind world No. 1 Luke Humphries. But the draw was no gift. Paired against Gian van Veen, the Dutch dynamo who’s been Littler’s kryptonite this season, having bested him in their last three encounters, the opening-round clash on Tuesday evening crackled with tension. Van Veen, a rising force with a reputation for blistering pace and unflappable nerves, arrived hungry for his first taste of double-start success after last year’s first-round exit. Littler, too, carried baggage from 2024, when the format’s quirks had left him grounded early. Yet, as the first dart flew, it was clear the youngster had evolved, his arm steadier than a surgeon’s scalpel.
The match unfolded like a thriller scripted for the big screen: a blistering first set where van Veen hammered two maximums en route to an 11-dart opener, only for Littler to counter with a silky 14-darter. The pace was relentless, the quality stratospheric. Littler snatched the set 3-2 on the back of a jaw-dropping 151 checkout, his darts kissing the board with surgical accuracy. The second set mirrored the madness, van Veen edging ahead before Littler clawed back, sealing a 2-0 sweep with a clinical 144 finish that sent the Leicester crowd into a frenzy. But the numbers? They etched this encounter into folklore. Van Veen’s overall average soared to an unprecedented 106.47—the highest ever recorded in World Grand Prix history—while Littler’s winning mark of 105.58 slotted in as the second-best victor average, shattering a 24-year-old benchmark. “That is one of the best performances ever in the World Grand Prix,” marveled commentator Stuart Pyke, his voice barely containing the awe as the arena erupted.
For Littler, who admitted pre-tournament that the double-start “is one of the toughest tournaments to win,” this was vindication. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t like it” at first, he confessed earlier in the week, reflecting on the format’s demand for pinpoint starts that can derail even the steadiest hands. But preparation had been his ally: endless practice sessions honing those opening doubles, transforming a potential Achilles’ heel into a weapon. “I knew I could do some damage here,” Littler said post-match, a grin splitting his face as he wiped sweat from his brow, the weight of the win sinking in. His first career victory at this event wasn’t just a box ticked; it was a statement, propelling him into Thursday’s second-round clash against defending champion Mike De Decker. The Belgian, who stunned Humphries 6-4 in last year’s final for his maiden televised ranking title, looms large after his own gritty 2-1 upset over Peter Wright, capped by a monstrous 152 checkout that drew gasps from the stands.
Littler’s masterclass set the tone for a first round packed with drama and upsets. In a shocker that rippled through the field, six-time World Grand Prix king Michael van Gerwen was unceremoniously whitewashed 2-0 by Dirk van Duijvenbode, the Dutchman’s doubles hitting like thunderbolts while MvG’s faltered spectacularly. Gerwyn Price, the fiery Welshman, edged Ryan Searle 2-1 in a see-saw battle, his ice-cool 2-1 sets survival showcasing the mental steel required in this format. Jonny Clayton breezed past Andrew Gilding 2-0, his smooth stroke purring, while Josh Rock outlasted Ryan Joyce 2-1, and Daryl Gurney dismantled Ross Smith 2-0. Earlier action on Monday saw Luke Woodhouse stun Damon Heta 2-1 with a late surge of 180s and a 90 kill, and De Decker’s triumph over Wright adding to the underdog vibe. Humphries, meanwhile, received a bye into the last 16, where he’ll face Krzysztof Ratajski on Wednesday, alongside other tasty ties like Joe Cullen vs. Gary Anderson and Stephen Bunting vs. Danny Noppert.
This World Grand Prix, the third major of the 2025/26 PDC calendar, has always been a beast unto itself—born in 1998 as a nod to the old-school double-in rules that tested mettle over machinery. Players loathe and love it in equal measure; the format punishes the impatient, rewarding those who can thread the needle under duress. For Littler, it’s a proving ground beyond his comfort zone of straight-start events, where his treble-hunting flair has already netted three majors this year. At just 18, he’s chasing a fourth, but the road to Sunday’s best-of-11 final is littered with pitfalls: Humphries, the world No. 1 and 2023 champ, eyes redemption; veterans like Anderson and Wright plot comebacks; and dark horses like Woodhouse dream of glory.
As the second round looms—Wednesday’s slate featuring Humphries’ opener, followed by Thursday’s fireworks including Littler vs. De Decker—the buzz in Leicester is electric. The Mattioli Arena, transformed into a cauldron of cheers and chants, pulses with the energy of a sport that’s ballooned in popularity, thanks in no small part to Littler’s meteoric rise. From his X Factor audition days to global icon, the kid’s journey embodies darts’ magic: accessible yet exhilarating, everyman’s game with Olympian demands. His words post-victory linger like a well-placed dart: “I knew I could do some damage here.” If this opener is any indication, the defending world champ isn’t just participating—he’s primed to plunder. In a tournament where doubles dictate destiny, Littler’s double-down on dominance has the field glancing over their shoulders. The Grand Prix? It’s wide open, but the storm from Warrington is gathering force.
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