Luke Littler has opened up about how he copes with his exhaustive darts schedule as he basks in the glory of becoming World Matchplay champion for the first time
Luke Littler has admitted that juggling his intense schedule has been one of the toughest aspects of his meteoric rise in darts. The Nuke has added another big prize to his burgeoning collection by winning the World Matchplay for the first time.
Littler beat James Wade 18-13 in the final to complete darts’ Triple Crown, which also includes the World Championship and the Premier League. The 18-year-old has also won the Grand Slam of Darts and the UK Open since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the 2023/24 World Championship.
Littler has already completed two Premier League campaigns – winning one and reaching the final in the other – which puts huge demands on the players involved, as nights often precede European Tour events. To ease his workload, the teenager skips the occasional tournament.
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“I pull out of tournaments to give me two free days off because it can be tough, especially when the Premier League’s on,” he exclusively told Mirror Sport.
“You don’t get many days off from February up until May. It’s just about managing the schedule and not overdoing it. At the start of the year, me and my manager put everything in the calendar so we know what’s coming.
“So if I’m worn out or tired from a Euro Tour – you come back on a Sunday, then there’s Pro Tours on Monday, Tuesday – you’re not going to do them. It’s all about managing the schedule, focusing on yourself and not tiring yourself out.”
Littler’s schedule, including media and PR commitments, means he has little time to reflect on his achievements of the last 18 months. Next week, for instance, he flies Down Under for World Series events in Australia and New Zealand.
He said: “There’s not enough time to sit back and look at what I’ve done. When I’ve got a week off, I don’t want to be sat down analysing what I’ve done in the past. I know what I’ve done, I can see the trophies in my living room. It’s about living in the moment.”
Following the World Series, which culminates in September, Littler and his rivals will turn their attention to the run of majors leading into the expanded World Championship, which begins on December 11. Of the majors, Littler is looking to win the World Grand Prix, European Championship, and Players Championships Finals for the first time.
He said: “Everyone wants to win the majors before the Worlds. I want to go back-to-back in the Grand Slam and do well at the Grand Prix.”
Littler has teamed up with KP for the ‘Nuts for Darts’ campaign, which will see one lucky pub win an appearance from the world champion, who will spend an evening at the victorious boozer and throw some arrows with locals.
Littler said: “We need people to go to their landlords and get them to enter to get an appearance from me in their own pub. It’s a brilliant idea by KP.”
KP Nuts ‘are giving one lucky pub the chance to win an appearance from Luke Littler as part of the ‘Nuts for Darts’ campaign. Rally your landlord to pick up a promotional pub cards to enter from 11th August.
