Seventeen-year-old Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler stunned three-time champion Michael van Gerwen with a commanding 7-3 victory at Alexandra Palace, claiming the PDC World Darts Championship and a £500,000 (NZ$1.11 million) prize.
In front of 3,200 exuberant fans, Littler overcame early nerves to take the first set and found his momentum with precise 180s, racing to a 4-0 lead. Van Gerwen, a former youngest champion at 24, showed signs of a comeback, narrowing the score to 5-2, but Littler’s relentless accuracy secured the victory, making him the youngest world champion in the history of professional darts.
Littler’s composed performance was capped by a dominant final set, earning him the Sid Waddell Trophy and cementing his meteoric rise from darting prodigy to champion.
Despite Van Gerwen’s efforts, he could not counter Littler’s poise under pressure, admitting defeat to the teen sensation he called a “star.” Littler, who began playing darts as a toddler, credited his fast start and focus against one of the sport’s giants, calling the win a dream come true.
Van Gerwen, taking home £200,000 (NZ$444,200) as runner-up, acknowledged the teenager’s brilliance despite his own disappointment in the final.
