As the highly anticipated Grand Slam of Darts kicks off next Saturday in Wolverhampton, all eyes are on 17-year-old rising star Luke Littler, who enters the tournament as one of the top favorites to claim the title. Littler’s undeniable talent and rapid rise in the darts world have drawn significant attention, yet some analysts are questioning his performance on the grand stage. One such commentator is former darts player Matthew Edgar, who recently shared his insights on the Love the Darts podcast. Edgar believes that while Littler has shown impressive skill, his lack of ranking TV titles raises concerns about his ability to perform in major televised tournaments.
Littler’s group at the Grand Slam of Darts includes some formidable competitors: Dimitri Van den Bergh, Keane Barry, and Lourence Ilagan. Edgar feels that, on paper, Littler and Van den Bergh are the strongest contenders in the group. However, Edgar is cautious about Littler’s ability to advance, particularly when it comes to his track record in ranking events. “I don’t think you can look past Luke and Dimitri,” Edgar commented. “But I do have reservations about Luke on the basis that, when we look at his TV form… it’s not TV form full-stop because he’s won the Premier League and World Series events.”
Despite these achievements, Edgar points out that Littler has yet to secure a victory in a ranking TV title event. According to Edgar, this is a critical factor that holds Littler back from joining the elite top 16 players in darts. “He should already be in the top 16,” Edgar explained. “He’s gone out in the first round of all of them. If he had just won a game, he would be in the top 16 already.” Edgar’s assessment highlights the importance of securing wins in ranking events to solidify a player’s position in the upper echelons of the sport. For Littler, achieving success in these events would not only validate his talent but would also be crucial for his long-term standing in the professional circuit.
This lack of success in ranking events has led to some “question marks,” as Edgar calls them, around Littler’s consistency on the big stage. Edgar notes that while Littler has a strong fan base and considerable support, he is beginning to encounter detractors as well. As Littler’s profile grows, so does the divide among fans, with some eager to see him succeed and others starting to root against him. “There are just a couple of question marks there,” Edgar said. “And let’s just say, there are lots of people who want him to do well—but now there are people who don’t want him to do well because he’s become that guy.”
Edgar goes on to praise Littler’s impact on the sport, acknowledging that Littler’s presence in the world of darts has brought a new level of excitement to the game. He compares Littler’s ability to draw emotional responses from fans—whether positive or negative—to that of Gerwyn Price, a player known for eliciting strong reactions from audiences. Edgar notes that this is a positive development for the sport, as it demonstrates that Littler has the charisma and talent to engage fans on an emotional level. “It’s great for us and it’s great for the sport,” Edgar stated. “We’re wrestling fans, and we know that if you can draw emotion from someone, whether you want them to win or you want them to lose, you’re doing a great job.”
The young talent’s ability to create a polarizing effect among fans is, in Edgar’s view, a sign that Littler is on the path to becoming one of darts’ most influential players. “Luke Littler is probably the first person since Gerwyn Price—and hey, Gerwyn Price was the first person for a long time—who has managed to draw that [emotion from fans],” Edgar added. “The sport is going in a good way with Luke in there.”
However, Edgar is firm in his hope that Littler will soon find success in ranking events. While the youngster has excelled in non-ranking tournaments and shown promise in unranked series, Edgar believes that for Littler to truly make his mark, he needs to start winning on the biggest stages. “I would like to see him start winning in the ranking events,” Edgar said. This, he argues, would cement Littler’s place among the best in the sport and dispel any lingering doubts about his ability to deliver under pressure.
As the Grand Slam of Darts approaches, Littler’s fans are eager to see if he can rise to the occasion and break his streak of early exits in major ranking tournaments. With his dynamic skill set and undeniable charisma, Littler certainly has the potential to make a deep run in Wolverhampton and further establish himself as a future star of the sport. For the young dart thrower, this tournament could be an opportunity to silence his critics and prove that he belongs among the top 16 players in the world.
The Grand Slam will test Littler’s mental toughness as much as his dart-throwing prowess. Should he manage to advance past the group stage and go on to compete against some of the world’s top players, it would be a defining moment in his career. For now, the darts world watches with bated breath to see if Luke Littler can turn potential into tangible success in the high-stakes environment of a major ranking event.