At just 18 years old, Luke “The Nuke” Littler continues to redefine the world of professional darts, adding another chapter to his extraordinary story with a commanding victory at the 2025 Australian Darts Masters in Wollongong. The reigning PDC World Champion showcased his prodigious talent and unshakable composure, defeating Belgium’s Mike De Decker 8-4 in the final to claim his first World Series title of the season. The win, which netted Littler £30,000 in prize money, was a testament to his resilience in the face of a vocal crowd and a playful jab from his opponent, who quipped, “He needs to retire because it’s not fun anymore.”
Littler’s path to the title was anything but straightforward. From the moment he stepped onto the stage in Wollongong, he faced a challenging atmosphere, with a section of the crowd quick to jeer every missed treble. The taunts peaked during the final, where spectators shouted “rubbish, rubbish” and one even called him “washed.” Unfazed, Littler let his darts do the talking. “In the final, every time I didn’t hit a treble they were shouting, ‘Rubbish, rubbish.’ Someone even said I was washed,” he revealed post-match. “I’m not sure what he meant, but I’ve just won — like I said, the darts did the talking.” His ability to shrug off the hecklers, cheekily mimicking their jeers before refocusing, highlighted a maturity far beyond his years. “The first time I hear it, I’ll react,” he admitted. “But then I’ll let it go by and just let my darts do the talking. No one’s taught me how to deal with much — you’re on stage alone, no one else is going to help you.”
The tournament began with a scare for Littler, who narrowly avoided an upset in the first round against New Zealand’s Haupai Puha. Trailing 2-0 and struggling with a 91.80 average, Littler sparked controversy by deliberately hitting a single one to set up a potential 170 “Big Fish” checkout, a move some fans labeled “disrespectful.” The gamble backfired when he missed the bullseye, but Littler rallied to win 6-5 in a final-leg decider. “I don’t even know — I think it’s just for myself,” he said of the decision. “Obviously at that point I was 5-4 up, maybe I should have tried hitting the 180… But I just thought I’d try and leave it and try and finish it.” The victory set the stage for dominant performances against Australia’s top player, Damon Heta (6-3), and top seed Stephen Bunting (7-4) in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
Littler’s final against De Decker, a World Series debutant who stunned world No. 1 Luke Humphries 6-0 earlier, was a masterclass in power scoring. Trailing 2-2, Littler seized control with a 143 checkout and an 11-darter, finishing with a 110 average to secure an 8-4 win. His girlfriend, Faith Millar, cheered from the 5,000-strong sell-out crowd as Littler celebrated a redemption arc following last year’s 8-1 loss to Gerwyn Price in the same event. “It felt very good,” Littler told reporters. “I knew if I won the first game it would be a long night and I am very happy.”
This victory marks another milestone in Littler’s meteoric rise. At 18, he’s already completed darts’ prestigious Triple Crown—World Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay—within 18 months, a feat achieved by only a handful of players. “Completing it within 18 months, it’s just crazy,” he said, reflecting on his achievements. His recent World Matchplay win ended a five-month title drought, restoring the “winning feeling” he craves as a world champion. “As a world champion, you need to be winning things,” he explained. “Now I’ve won here as well, and I’ve just got that winning feeling back in me.”
Off the oche, Littler remains a grounded teenager, a Manchester United fan excited about the club’s new signing, Benjamin Šeško, and optimistic about a top-five finish in the Premier League season. His relentless schedule, which includes the upcoming New Zealand Darts Masters, leaves little room for rest. “We’ll have a good few days off, try and get some more sleep because us players don’t have it easy,” he said with a grin. As Littler continues to dominate, De Decker’s tongue-in-cheek retirement suggestion underscores the challenge facing the darts world: keeping up with a teenager who’s making the sport look effortless.
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