Sky Sports Darts commentator Mark Webster hailed Luke Littler’s triumphant run at the World Matchplay as "the most impressive major campaign ever witnessed" in the sport, a statement that underscores the magnitude of Littler’s achievement and the warning it sends to his rivals. Littler capped a historic week by dispatching Gerwyn Price 18‑9 in the final, posting a new final‑match average of 111.53 – a record for the tournament. In addition, he surpassed his own benchmark for 180s across a single event, raising the tally from 64 in 2025 to an astonishing 66 in 2026. Those figures not only illustrate his scoring power but also his consistency under pressure.
The Blackpool victory made Littler only the fourth player in Matchplay history to claim back‑to‑back titles, and the first to do so in ten years. The win also keeps his ambition alive to sweep all the major titles on the calendar within a single season.
Already in his trophy cabinet sit the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the Premier League, the Masters and now the Matchplay. He enters the latter half of the year defending the Grand Slam, the Grand Prix and the Players Championship Finals, while also eyeing a European Championship triumph that would give him every premier title on offer.
Webster believes this performance represents the greatest major display ever recorded in darts and signals that the current world No. 1 is on a realistic path to hold every major trophy simultaneously.
"I keep asking myself – what can the other players cling to now? Where is the weak spot?
What can they do to stop him?" he asked. Littler’s dominance was evident in every facet of his game.
He forced his opponents into missed doubles, kept his own checkout percentages sky‑high, and maintained a relentless scoring rhythm that left little room for a comeback. "He is playing fantastically at the moment and making his opponents miss. It’s a recipe for domination," Webster noted. The champion also set personal challenges within the broader goal of winning the title.
He was conscious of his tournament average, treating it as a “challenge inside a challenge.” Even after securing the trophy, he spoke of continuing to chase higher averages and more 170 finishes, confident that his level of play would keep improving. "He trusts everything he does. You have to admire that. We might think he can’t get any better, but he’ll keep trying," Webster said.
Statistically, the 111.53 average stands out as a benchmark that may stand for years. "If you look at the numbers alone, that average is extraordinary. In twelve months’ time he’ll be looking to eclipse it," Webster added, speculating that Littler could even capture every major in 2026, including the European Championship and the Players Championship Finals. For those trying to chase Littler down, the question becomes: what’s the next step?
His recent record‑breaking run in Blackpool has already forced his competitors to reassess their own standards. The last time Littler lost a major that extended beyond 20 legs was to Luke Humphries at the 2024 World Darts Championship, highlighting how rare defeats have become for the young star. Webster believes that to even approach Littler’s level, other players will need to establish "new standards" for themselves. "It sends a clear message to the rest of the pack about the benchmark you have to reach to get anywhere near him," he explained.
He expects every participant in the event to take stock of what happened, with players like Humphries needing to refocus after early exits, and veterans such as Michael van Gerwen, now sitting at world No. 7, confronting the need to rediscover form after a strong finish to the year. Looking ahead, the next PDC‑ranked televised major is the BoyleSports World Grand Prix, scheduled for 28 September to 4 October at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena, where Littler will defend his title from the previous year’s double‑in, double‑out triumph over Humphries.
Following that, the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January) will also be broadcast on Sky Sports, offering Littler further opportunities to retain his crowns. In summary, Luke Littler’s 2026 Matchplay performance not only rewrote the record books but also set a new bar for excellence in professional darts.
His blend of high scoring, surgical finishing, and relentless mental focus has forced the sport’s elite to reconsider what is possible. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on whether he can sustain this dominance and complete the unprecedented feat of holding every major title at once, a prospect that, according to Webster, may be just within reach.