Luke Littler, 18, threatens to retire ‘tomorrow’ just weeks after winning first World Championship

Luke Littler Open to Walking Away from Darts If Motivation Fades

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has made a shocking admission, revealing he would be ready to walk away from the sport “tomorrow” if he ever loses the fire to compete at the highest level.

Littler, who recently clinched his first World Championship title with a dominant victory over Michael van Gerwen, has had a meteoric rise since turning professional. In just 12 months, he has amassed double-digit PDC Tour titles and claimed the Premier League crown, cementing himself as one of the sport’s brightest stars.

At just 18 years old, many believe Littler is poised to dominate darts for years to come. However, the young champion isn’t looking too far ahead.

Littler Unsure About Long-Term Future in Darts

While legends like Phil Taylor continued competing at the highest level into their fifties—Taylor won his last world title at 52—Littler isn’t certain he’ll follow the same path.

Speaking on the Top and Tales Darts podcast, he shared his perspective on longevity in the sport:

“Michael (van Gerwen) said this in a different interview—once the fire goes out of your belly, there’s just no point in playing,” Littler said.

“So if I say I’m going to continue playing darts for 30 years, well, I could wake up tomorrow morning, the fire’s gone out, and I want to retire.”

He added:

“I probably won’t be playing at 50. It’s just the way the sport’s going—it’s growing and growing. But one thing I do want to do, and I’ve said it numerous times, is win one of every major at least once.”

Littler’s Quest to Complete His Major Trophy Collection

Despite already securing multiple major titles—including the World Championship, Premier League, Grand Slam, Pro Tour, Euro Tour, and World Series—Littler remains motivated to complete his bucket list of trophies.

“There’s not much left,” he admitted. “Once I do get one of everything, that’s when I’ll want to at least add to it.”

Tough Start to Players Championship Campaign

Littler faced a setback in the Players Championship on Monday night, falling to Joe Cullen in the third round. The world champion struggled with his finishing, missing 15 doubles and averaging just 87.8 in a below-par performance.

He will get a shot at redemption today in the second Players Championship event before returning to Premier League action on Thursday.