In a electrifying showdown at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, 18-year-old darts sensation Luke Littler captured his first World Series of Darts title of 2025, defeating Mike De Decker 8-4 in the Australian Darts Masters final. The victory, witnessed by a boisterous sell-out crowd of 5,000, showcased not only Littler’s prodigious talent but also his resilience in the face of relentless taunting from a group of Australian fans. With his girlfriend, Faith Millar, cheering from the stands, Littler turned jeers into motivation, delivering a performance that solidified his status as a global darts superstar.
Littler, affectionately dubbed “The Nuke,” entered the tournament as the reigning world and World Matchplay champion, yet he was still chasing his first World Series win of the season. His path to the final was anything but smooth. In the first round, he faced a stern test from New Zealand’s Haupai Puha, narrowly escaping with a 6-5 victory in a final-leg decider. The match stirred controversy when Littler, leading 5-4, opted for a single one instead of a maximum 180, setting up a potential 170 “Big Fish” checkout. The bold move, perceived by some as showboating, drew ire from fans when he missed the bullseye, allowing Puha to push the match to the wire. Reflecting on the decision, Littler admitted, “I don’t even know. I think just for myself. Obviously, at that point, I was 5-4 up. Maybe I should have tried hitting the 180.” Undeterred, he regrouped and advanced, proving his ability to thrive under pressure.
The young star continued his campaign with a 6-3 win over local hero Damon Heta in the quarter-finals, followed by a commanding 7-4 victory against top seed Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals. These performances set up a clash with De Decker, a World Series debutant who had stunned the darts world by dismantling world number one Luke Humphries 6-0 earlier in the tournament. In the final, Littler unleashed his full arsenal, averaging 110 at the interval and landing a crucial 133 checkout to seize a 3-2 lead. Despite a momentary lapse—missing six darts at double-16 when leading 6-3—he regained his composure to clinch the 8-4 win, sparking wild celebrations.
The victory was made all the sweeter by the adversity Littler faced from the crowd. A vocal group of spectators to his right peppered him with chants of “rubbish, rubbish” every time he missed a treble, while one particularly bold fan labeled him “washed”—a stinging jab implying he was past his prime at just 18. Littler, with his trademark wit, fired back post-match, saying, “Someone said I was washed. Not sure what he meant, obviously I’m washed but I just won.” His sharp retort and unflappable demeanor underscored the mental toughness that has propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport.
This triumph held special significance for Littler, who had endured an 8-1 thrashing by Gerwyn Price in the 2024 Australian Darts Masters final. “It feels very good. It’s another one I can tick off,” he said, reflecting on his redemption. He added, “Yeah, I think losing any final motivates me because you always want to come back and do one better. Obviously, as a world champion, you need to be winning things.” The victory adds to his growing list of accolades, including World Series titles in Bahrain, Poland, and the Netherlands in 2024, as well as the prestigious Premier League crown.
De Decker, gracious in defeat, offered a lighthearted nod to Littler’s dominance, joking, “He needs to retire because it’s not fun anymore.” For Littler, however, retirement is far from his mind. With the New Zealand Darts Masters set for August 15-16 in Auckland, he’s already looking ahead, though he admitted the grueling schedule takes its toll: “We’ll have a good few days off, try and get some more sleep because us players don’t have it easy.” The jet lag and travel demands are a small price to pay for a player who continues to rewrite the darts history books.
Littler’s Wollongong performance was a masterclass in skill and composure, as he turned crowd hostility into fuel for his victory. As he prepares to defend his title in New Zealand, the darts world watches in awe, knowing that “The Nuke” is only just beginning to detonate on the global stage.
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