Luke Humphries has made it clear that his historic achievement of reaching a fourth consecutive World Grand Prix final will amount to little in his eyes unless he can finally defeat Gerwyn Price and claim the trophy in Leicester. The Englishman etched his name into the tournament's record books by becoming the first player ever to qualify for the final in four straight editions of the double‑in event, a feat he secured after a 5-3 win over James Wade that booked his place in the Sunday showdown at the Mattioli Arena. Humphries, often dubbed "Cool Hand" for his composed demeanor, suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Luke Littler in the previous year’s final and then endured an unexpected 6-4 loss to Mike de Decker in the 2024 edition.
This time around, he is hoping to replicate the triumph he enjoyed in 2023 when he overcame Price in a tightly contested final. "It has been one of those journeys this year that hasn't been sailing smoothly," Humphries told Sky Sports. "A few of the years before have felt a lot easier than it has done this year." He went on to explain the significance of his latest milestone: "To make four Grand Prix finals on the trot is super special.
It's history for myself and I'm proud of that but, unless I pick that trophy up, unfortunately that history doesn't mean anything. I've come here to win it.
If I win the trophy, I'll look back at the history and think that's amazing." The sentiment underscores a broader narrative that has been developing in Humphries' career – a pattern of reaching major finals only to fall just short of the ultimate prize. Since clinching the Premier League title in May 2025, Humphries has collected a string of runner‑up finishes in televised finals, including the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts in 2025, and this year's Premier League final.
Each of those near‑misses has added to a growing frustration that he is determined to put behind him. "The way I haven't been playing hasn't been the best, but the way I've bounced back and performed in that way is great," he said. "I've got to do it again tomorrow because there are so many major finals I've let slip." He praised his own recent form, noting that his scoring and finishing were both solid: "I don't think I was far from my best.
The scoring was pretty decent and the doubling in was good. I felt like that was the most controlled, consistent performance I've put in for a long time. The last time I felt like that was maybe the Premier League final against Luke Littler.
It's been a long time since I've felt that control and not like I was going to flounder a little bit." Looking ahead to the final, Humphries remained cautiously optimistic about the showdown with Price. "Gezzy [Price] is playing well but if I play like that again, it's going to be a cracking game and I hope it is. I'm going to come back tomorrow [Sunday] fresh and believe I can do that again and play even better," he added. Gerwyn Price, the 2020 champion, is also eyeing his fourth World Grand Prix final, his first since being beaten by Humphries in 2023.
The Welshman navigated a semi‑final against Nathan Aspinall, winning 5-2 despite a brief dispute over crowd support. "Nathan was complaining about the crowd but they were on his side," Price told Sky Sports.
"I'm 3-0 up and I go back and say to Nathan 'they're on your side bud, come on. Stop performing on the board and just play darts'." Price admitted to feeling frustration during the match: "I was a little bit upset with him. As good as the crowd is for me, they were all for him.
He's performing a little bit on stage and I told him I wasn't happy. I'm great friends with Nathan but sometimes you've just got to let your darts go – when you're losing you're losing." He reflected on his overall performance, acknowledging inconsistency: "I was frustrated 90 per cent of that game and it's not good.
I think it was a bit of a poor game, it was up and down. In patches, I'm playing well.
When my game is there, I'm playing some of the best stuff in the world. I'm here to win trophies and money, but I'm into another final, third one on the bounce – happy days!" Commentator Wayne Mardle of Sky Sports offered his perspective on the impending clash. He highlighted Humphries' confidence after what he described as one of his best displays: "He feels that that was somewhere near his best and that's confidence. I don't think Gezzy was at all impressive tonight.
I know he won, I just feel that Luke going into that final now will obviously fancy it." Mardle also praised Humphries' ability to rebound from earlier setbacks, noting that the Englishman's growth was evident in his recent performances: "It's impressive the way that he has actually had to play better and did play better in the two games he's had to do it – putting those bad performances behind him and not worrying about them is growth. It's easy to look back and think that Luke's been inconsistent, but so has Gezzy, to a point.
Who was the star of the opening round? It was Price. He played fantastically but, since then, he hasn't reached those heights – it doesn't mean that he can't again." Both players now stand on the cusp of a high‑stakes encounter that could define their legacies for the coming years. Humphries is seeking to turn his historic run into a championship, while Price aims to add another major title to his collection and re‑establish his dominance on the big stage.
As Mardle summed up, the ideal outcome would be a "brilliant final" with both competitors firing on all cylinders, a scenario that fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating. The World Grand Prix final between Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event from 8 p.m. on Sunday, with additional streaming options available via NOW.
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