LONDON – Teenage dart prodigy Luke “The Nuke” Littler made a striking start to the 2024/25 PDC World Championships, setting a tournament record with a 140.91 set average as he defeated fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle 3-1 on Dec 21. The 17-year-old, who came close to winning the 2023/24 championship before losing to Luke Humphries in the final, demonstrated his prowess by firing four maximum 180s and winning three consecutive legs in 11, 10, and 11 darts.
Littler, known for his incredible consistency, finished with an overall average of 100.85 and narrowly missed out on a nine-dart finish in the fourth set. Despite his strong performance, he admitted to feeling immense pressure before taking the stage. “That was probably the toughest game I’ve ever played… I don’t know where I pulled that last set from,” he said, acknowledging the mental strain he faced.
As one of the tournament’s favorites, Littler has already won the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts in 2024, and last week finished as the runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year rankings. However, the pressure of being such a high-profile young player is immense, with Canadian former world champion John Part noting the “ridiculous” levels of pressure Littler faces.
Despite the challenges, Littler remains focused on the competition, and his remarkable achievements continue to make him a leading contender for the world championship title.