Luke Littler Dethrones Luke Humphries to Become New World Number One

Teenage sensation Luke Littler is officially the new world number one in darts, becoming the youngest player in history to reach the sport’s summit. 

The 18-year-old sealed the achievement after defeating Dutchman Danny Noppert in the Grand Slam of Darts semi-final, guaranteeing he ends the night as the sport’s top-ranked thrower.

Remarkably, Littler’s rise to the summit comes even before he steps on stage for the latest chapter of his rivalry with Luke Humphries, as the pair collide once again in a major final, this time at the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

How Littler Clinched the Top Spot

Humphries entered the tournament defending the £150,000 he won at the 2023 Grand Slam, meaning he could only maintain rather than add to his ranking total.

Littler, meanwhile, is still within his first two years on tour and therefore defending none of his prize money, allowing his minimum £70,000 haul from this event to propel him past Humphries.

For Humphries to retain his world number one status, he needed to outlast Littler in the tournament. That required Littler losing to Noppert, followed by Humphries going on to win the final. 

With that scenario off the table, even a Humphries win over Littler tonight will not affect the Order of Merit.

Littler Finally Admits: “I Am the Best in the World”

Speaking on stage to Sky Sports’ Polly James after securing his place in the final, Littler acknowledged for the first time what the rankings now confirm.

“I’ve not even spent two years on tour and I’m already world number one. That’s job done,” Littler said. 

"I’ve said it all year. Luke Humphries has been the best. Whether you go out in the first round or reach the final, he’s been the best.”

“I am the best in the world now.”

Humphries Stays Cool: Titles, Not Rankings, the Priority

For Luke Humphries, the number one spot was never the main focus this week. The ex-champion arrived in Wolverhampton determined to lift the Grand Slam trophy for a second time, and unbothered by the rankings chat swirling around him.

With the PDC World Championship prize now rising to a landmark £1 million for the winner, Humphries knows that whoever claims the title at Alexandra Palace is overwhelmingly likely to sit atop the rankings come January.

Speaking ahead of his semi-final win over Gerwyn Price, Humphries told SportsBoom.co.uk: "I'm not here to just be world number one.”

"If I can win then I put myself in a good state going into the worlds and if I can win that then I'll win it back [world number one] anyway."

"For myself, I have to win the worlds to be world number one. If I don't win the worlds then I won't be anyway. So, this is all just a little bit of a free run for me.”