LUKE LITTLER is “annoyed” that oche rivals are raising their game to extraordinary levels against him – then flopping in their next assignments.
On the eve of the start of his Premier League title defence in Belfast, The Nuke expressed his frustration that he is facing fired-up opponents who are playing out of their skin to beat him.
Luke Littler has admitted he gets ‘annoyed’ when other players raise their game against him[/caption]
Littler starts his Premier League title defence on Thursday[/caption]
The first time it happened was at the 2024 UK Open in Minehead when Australian Damon Heta averaged 106.04 in a 10-8 quarter-final win but then went out in the next round.
It happened in Bahrain last month when Littler lost to Gerwyn Price, who averaged 115.31 but was then eliminated in the next game.
Littler, the reigning PDC world darts champion, said: “Oh, it does annoy me.
“They’ll probably play the 64th player in the world, throw a mid-90 average but still get the win.
“With me, I just know (they’ll raise their game). I just know within the first leg against anyone, I know what to expect from them.
“It’s weird. They’ll play their best against me but they’ve got to get themselves ready again for the next game.”
Littler – who has won 11 titles as a professional and thrown four nine-darters – continued: “Ever since last year, I’ve known that these players are going to have to pull it out of the bag to beat me.
“But when they do beat me with a high average, it’s also good for them.
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Luke Littler prize money breakdown
Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner:
World Championship 2025 – £500,000
World Championship 2024 – £200,000
Grand Slam of Darts 2024 – £150,000
European Tour – £91,000
Player Championships events – £71,500
Players Championship final runner-up – £60,000
UK Open 2023 + 2024 – £17,500
World Matchplay – £10,000
World Grand Prix – £7,500
European Championship – £7,500
(Unranked) Premier League Darts – £315,000
TOTAL: £1.43 million
“I’m like: ‘Yeah, you have got it there, but can you do it in the next game and next game after that?’
“When a player does beat me with a high average usually you do see them go out next round.
“Fair play to Jonny Clayton at the Masters as he beat me and then went all the way to the final.
“Most of the time people have beaten me and sadly they have gone out the next round.
“They don’t have to raise their game anymore. Make sure you get that in!”
In May 2024, Littler banked £315,000 in prize money when he won the Prem on his debut appearance, hitting a perfect leg in the O2 Arena final against Luke Humphries.
His first of four nightly wins came in Belfast last March and he will have good memories of the SSE Arena.
The Warrington teenager will resume his rivalry with Michael van Gerwen tomorrow in the quarter-finals – a rematch of their world final at Ally Pally on January 3.
Northern Ireland is the first destination on the 17-week invitational Road Show, which is spread across seven countries and involves eight top players.
World No.1 Humphries, 29, reckons the Prem is “tougher to win than the World Championship because it’s a long slog”.
Littler concurred with that sentiment, saying: “I’d say it’s the hardest tournament to win week-in, week-out.
“You have got to stay there, you don’t want to go into the second half of the season chasing points and needing loads of points to get through.
“If you can get off to a good start it’s perfect.
“I’m feeling okay. I might feel nervous when it comes to the task on Thursday. There are always nerves in those first few legs. I’m hoping for a quick start against Michael just like the world final.”
Littler frustrated some of his Prem rivals on Wednesday when he arrived late for a photoshoot.
Van Gerwen said: “They need to stop treating him as a baby. He’s not a baby anymore, he’s 18-years-old.
“It happens. He has to learn. You have to learn the hard way.
“It’s a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions, simple as that.
“If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind.
“But seven other people were waiting for him, that’s not really nice. But it is what it is.”
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title – which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May.
He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player.
He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
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