Luke Littler downplays pursuit of Phil Taylor’s record
Luke Littler has dismissed any talk of chasing down Phil Taylor’s incredible haul of 16 world darts titles, insisting he doesn’t think anyone will ever match that record, reports BritPanorama.
The 18-year-old sensation, who kicked off his title defence at Alexandra Palace last night, was refreshingly honest when asked if he had a target number of world championships in mind.
“Not in my head, no,” Littler told Sky Sports. “The talk is always ‘will he beat Phil Taylor’s record?’ Personally, I don’t think anyone will. I don’t think myself will. I’ve actually not said to myself how many [world titles] do I want. I’m sure one day that will come and I will pick a number.”
It is a humble take from darts’ brightest young star. The defending champion made light work of Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas on the opening night of the 2025-26 tournament, cruising to a comfortable straight-sets victory. Littler’s performance was packed with quality, posting an average of 101.54 while landing seven maximum 180s and converting 64 per cent of his attempts at double.
This was the world number one’s first appearance on the famous Ally Pally stage since lifting the trophy back in January, and he certainly didn’t disappoint the packed crowd. The teenager headlined the evening session as he returned to the venue where he made his PDC debut, a place he says holds plenty of special memories.
“It felt very special,” the Warrington youngster said afterwards. Despite the convincing scoreline, Littler admitted the match was tougher than it looked on paper. Labanauskas pushed the defending champion to final-leg deciders in both the opening two sets, even kicking things off with an impressive 130 checkout.
“It definitely wasn’t easy,” Littler told Sky Sports. “Looking at the stats, it didn’t feel like that but I’m happy!” The teenager needed back-to-back ton-plus finishes in the third set to finally see off his Lithuanian opponent and seal the win.
“The hardest game is out of the way and we’ll be back in 10 days,” he added in his press conference. “I didn’t put too much pressure on myself and the performance showed.” Littler will now face either Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde or Welsh qualifier David Davies in round two.
Littler’s triumph over Labanauskas marks the start of his quest to join an elite club of back-to-back world champions. Only Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson have managed to retain the title, with Anderson the last to do so a decade ago.
“This is the most important one,” Littler said of winning a second consecutive crown. “To be the fourth player to go back-to-back would mean everything.” The former Padgate Academy pupil has enjoyed a sensational 12 months since his maiden world title, scooping TV trophies at the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals.
“I have only not picked up four majors this year so it has been a very good year,” he reflected.
As the spotlight shines on a young talent defying expectations, the world of darts watches intently. Littler’s journey suggests that while records loom large, the joy of competition remains at the heart of the sport.
