Luke Littler is looking forward to his first-round opponent at the 2026 Darts World Championship. However, he wants to have his nerves under better control than last year.
Luke Littler reacted to the draw for the Darts World Championship and talked about his first-round opponent, Darius Labanauskas.
“I’m very happy with that,” said the 18-year-old, discussing the Lithuanian’s style of play. “He’s not the fastest player, but it’s about getting through the first round.”
Luke Littler reacts to the World Championship draw
The world champion did not want to take the match on December 11 lightly: “It won’t be easy.”
Littler: “Last year I had no idea”
At least: The young Englishman has learned his lessons from the nerve-wracking battle against Ryan Meikle. “If I get nervous, I know how to deal with it,” said Littler, referring to the emotional second-round duel from last year.
At the 2025 Darts World Championship, Littler was overcome by emotions, even though he won the second-round thriller against Meikle. Afterwards, he burst into tears and was comforted by his parents.
“Last year I had no idea how to deal with it. But this year I know what to expect, what expectations there are,” emphasizes the darts superstar. “If I get nervous, I know how to deal with it.”
Darts World Championship 2026: “That’s all I’m working towards”
Of course, he would most like to defend his title from the previous year. “Gary Anderson was the last player to win twice in a row (2015 and 2016, editor’s note) ,” said Littler, who wants to follow suit. “That was ten years ago. That’s all I’m working towards – winning twice in a row.”
Littler is undoubtedly in good shape: “I’ve now won the last three Majors. Now the big tournament is just around the corner. I’m looking forward to it.”
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