Luke Humphries finally broke his streak of heartbreaking runner‑up finishes in televised major tournaments by engineering a dramatic comeback win against Gerwyn Price at the World Grand Prix. The Englishman, who had already set a record by reaching his fourth straight final at the double‑start event, rallied from a 3‑0 set deficit to claim six of the next seven sets, sealing a 6‑4 victory over the Welshman.
The win at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena not only followed his earlier triumph over Price in the 2023 final but also placed him among an elite group of only four players ever to capture more than one World Grand Prix title. The prize money for his latest success was a hefty £150,000, underscoring the significance of the achievement. This triumph marks Humphries’ first televised major title on the ranking circuit since his Winmau World Masters victory in February 2025, and he expressed genuine relief at finally putting an end to a series of near‑misses.
"I’m just happy to get one back," he said, reflecting on a year that saw him finish second at the World Grand Prix, the European Championship and the Grand Slam of Darts in 2025, and then runner‑up finishes at both the Winmau World Masters and the Premier League at the start of 2026. "It feels really special – this really means the world to me. I needed this to give me a bit of confidence. It’s been a torrid 15‑ to 18‑month stretch for me, losing so many major finals," Humphries added, his voice tinged with both relief and determination.
The match itself was a roller‑coaster. After falling behind 3‑0, Humphries faced a crucial moment when he had to hit a 105 checkout in the final leg to avoid falling to a 4‑0 hole. Price, who had missed several set darts that could have pushed him ahead 5‑4, eventually faltered as the contest turned topsy‑turvy. "I worked incredibly hard from 3‑0 down, showed a lot of grit and determination," Humphries said afterward.
"These wins are sweeter than the ones you win with ease." He continued, "I didn’t want to lose 6‑0. I wanted to give the fans something to be happy with, and suddenly I found myself up 4‑3.
I’m looking forward to taking the trophy home to my son, so he can finally see his dad lift a trophy that isn’t a runner‑up." Gerwyn Price, who has not captured a major title since 2022, suffered his third consecutive runner‑up finish, having also been second at the World Matchplay to Luke Littler and at the World Series Finals to Ross Smith. The “Ice Man” still managed three semi‑final appearances in majors this season.
Humphries praised his opponent, noting, "Gezzy was amazing for those first three sets, absolutely insane. He is going to win a major title soon – it’s written in the stars for him.
He can’t keep playing this well and not win." Price opened the match with a blistering 132.62 average in the first set, completing it in just 34 darts and setting a new record for the highest three‑dart set average in the tournament’s history. Despite that historic start, the Welshman now has three World Grand Prix runner‑up finishes since his 2020 victory. Speaking to Sky Sports, Price admitted his frustration: "I don’t want to win a major, do I?! It’s gutting I lost another one – I’m not bothered, but I am bothered.
Luke played brilliantly in the middle part of the game, but I still squandered so many opportunities to put him under pressure. I felt like it was a fantastic game – I thought I played brilliantly, and Luke played brilliantly." Former player and pundit Wayne Mardle, commenting for Sky Sports Darts, highlighted the resilience shown by Humphries: "Humphries was in trouble, then a bit more and then a bit more – to get out of it was an incredible effort. The last two sets were his best. He was under the cosh for more than an hour but didn’t succumb.
He stood up to everything Gezzy threw at him, which was a lot!" Mardle added insight into the mental aspect of the win: "When you have won before, which Luke has done many times and in many ways, there is that belief of, ‘I’m under pressure, but let’s just see as I know my game can win’, rather than ‘oh no, I am going to get beat’. He played his game and he won." He also praised Price’s competitiveness: "Gezzy tightened up after a great start. He says things in the spur of the moment but the way he competes, he wants it. You can’t play like he did this evening if you don’t care!" Mardle concluded with a note on the broader picture: "It is disheartening and disappointing when you are 3‑0 up and don’t win, but he has lost enough finals to know nothing is a given.
He is still a young man and will get many more opportunities. He knows he is good enough." Looking ahead, the European Tour continues with the Swiss Darts Trophy (9‑11 October) and the Dutch Darts Championship (16‑18 October), before the European Championship in Dortmund, Germany (22‑25 October). The next televised major on Sky Sports will be the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (14‑22 November), followed by the World Darts Championship (11 December – 3 January) at Alexandra Palace, where Luke Littler will defend his titles.
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