Sky Sports Darts analyst Mark Webster is confident that 19‑year‑old Luke "The Nuke" Littler will not abandon his darts career because of the way he has been treated by spectators, even though the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is actively trying to eradicate whistling from venues while acknowledging that booing is likely to remain a part of the sport's culture. Littler entered the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam with the ambition of completing a clean sweep of every major PDC title on the calendar in 2026.

That dream was shattered on Sunday when he suffered a heavy 10‑4 loss to Jonny Clayton in the quarter‑finals. While the defeat itself dominated headlines, the lingering discussion centred on Littler's increasingly fraught relationship with darts fans.

Earlier in the tournament, Littler threatened to boycott future events in the Netherlands after he was met with a chorus of boos and whistles following his victory over Nathan Aspinall. The tension escalated during his Friday win against Dutch favourite Danny Noppert, where the home crowd's hostility was palpable. On Saturday, referee Charlie Corstorphine had to step in during Littler's last‑16 triumph over Aspinall to calm a volatile atmosphere. This is not the first time Littler has taken a stand against hostile crowds.

He previously refused to travel to German European Tour stops after enduring similar treatment from spectators there. Nevertheless, Webster believes these incidents will not push Littler out of the sport entirely. "No, I don't think he's going to walk away from darts over this," Webster said. "He was obviously very upset about how he was treated in the Netherlands at the weekend, but some of the opponents he played – a home favourite in Danny Noppert – he was going to get some rough treatment there." Webster acknowledged that while the PDC is making a concerted effort to eliminate whistling – which many players find distracting when they are in the throwing motion – booing is entrenched in the game's heritage and is unlikely to disappear.

"I'm not saying it's right, and the whistling, I know they're trying to take it out of the game. The booing, they won't be able to stop, but the whistling is something that's a bugbear to a lot of players at the minute. The PDC are trying to get rid of it," he explained.

He added that security personnel are experimenting with new crowd‑control measures, but the situation in Amsterdam proved especially challenging for Littler. "He was saying after games he wasn't happy with the treatment he got. I don't like saying it, but a lot of the booing is part of the game now.

He kind of has drawn attention to it by speaking about it," Webster noted. According to Webster, the constant booing, while unpleasant, is something players can learn to ignore, whereas whistling directly interferes with a player's rhythm. "The whistling is annoying, and I think it's a bit sharper when the players are throwing and it puts them off. A constant boo, I think players can deal with.

Luke has dealt with it in the past, and I'm sure he'll be okay," he said. If Littler chooses to skip events in the Netherlands, Webster believes he can still craft a successful season. The Dutch leg of the European Tour comprises 15 events throughout the year, but there are other opportunities, including a Premier League night that Littler is likely to attend.

"He doesn't really need to go to the Netherlands, so he can cherry‑pick there. If he does decide to boycott, he can still plan out his year, really," Webster asserted.

Webster stressed that Littler still has many years ahead of him and sees no reason for an early retirement. "He's got a long time left in the sport. I don't think he'll leave the sport as early as people make out. He loves playing darts and he's brilliant at it, so I think he'll just bounce back," he said.

The 19‑year‑old remains the sport's marquee attraction after a meteoric rise that includes a debut World Championship final appearance and back‑to‑back World Championship titles. "We're still in this boom on the back of what he did," Webster remarked. "There are other players, but he is the main draw. After that run to the World Championships final on debut, and he's backed up by winning back‑to‑back World Championships.

People buy a ticket to watch him. They may boo him, they may whistle when he throws." Webster believes Littler's resilience will see him recover quickly, especially with upcoming major tournaments such as the Grand Prix in Leicester.

He also pointed out that Littler's youth can be misleading; despite being only 19, he has been competing at the top level since he was 16 and has already amassed a substantial trophy cabinet. "He gets fired up himself, and I'm sure he'll bounce back in the right way at the Grand Prix in Leicester.

It's easy to forget he's 19 because he's been around since he was 16, and he's done a lot in those three years. We're already talking about sort of holding every major," Webster said.

Regarding the weekend's loss, Webster urged Littler not to be too hard on himself. "He was beaten by the better man in Jonny. He acknowledged that. He was just a bit disappointed with the crowd.

I fully expect him to win a few of the majors remaining," Webster added. Looking ahead, the European Championships will be a priority for Littler, as a victory there would complete his collection of major titles for the season. Following that, the focus will shift to the World Championship at Alexandra Palace, where he will aim to retain his title and cement his position as world number one.

Webster concluded that Littler is poised to add more major crowns to his résumé, particularly in longer‑format events that suit his steady, high‑scoring style. "He's going to come away with some more major titles, that's for sure.

I think these tournaments kind of favour him in terms of longer formats. Who's going to compete in there? It's going to be tough, but it's up to the other players and to see where his hunger is at in a minute," he said. Littler still has a chance to sweep the ranking events in 2026 – the World Series Finals, World Cup and Premier League are non‑ranking, but winning the remaining four majors in Leicester, Dortmund, Wolverhampton and Minehead this autumn would give him an unprecedented haul.

After his recent withdrawal from two Players Championship events in the Netherlands, the teenager remains within striking distance of the final qualification spot for the Players Championship Finals, though he hinted he might forego that event if his clean‑sweep hopes are dashed. Sky Sports will continue to broadcast the sport's marquee events, including the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January), all available to stream via NOW without a contract.