Luke Littler to Take Break from Darts After Gruelling 2025 Premier League Schedule
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts sensation known as “The Nuke,” announced he will take a short break from darts following his runner-up finish at the 2025 Premier League Darts final, where he lost 11-8 to Luke Humphries on May 29, 2025, at London’s O2 Arena. Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler said, “I’m glad to say it’s over. It’s been a tough 17 weeks. I will have a little break now, but straight onto the World Series soon.” The gruelling Premier League schedule, spanning 17 weeks across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany, saw Littler compete every Thursday, culminating in a record-breaking six nightly wins and 45 points, per *GB News*. Despite his dominance, the relentless travel and media demands prompted his decision to rest.[](https://www.gbnews.com/sport/darts/luke-littler-darts-break-premier-league-2672233973)
Littler’s 2025 has been monumental, with victories at the World Championship (7-3 over Michael van Gerwen), UK Open, and Belgian Darts Open, plus a third televised nine-darter in Cardiff. His Premier League campaign included a 114.09 average in Sheffield and a £215,000 prize haul (£125,000 for second place, £60,000 for nightly wins, plus gold darts for his nine-darter), per *GB News*. However, concerns about burnout have surfaced. Two-time world champion Dennis Priestley warned in March, “He’s playing so often, he needs to be careful he doesn’t burn out,” urging a break to manage the intense schedule, per *Express.co.uk*. Littler himself acknowledged the toll, telling the *Stick To Football* podcast, “I barely practice during the week; my practice is playing in these tournaments,” per *Daily Star*.[](https://www.gbnews.com/sport/darts/luke-humphries-earnings-premier-league-revealed-luke-littler)[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/2031636/Luke-Littler-darts)[](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/darts/luke-littler-supports-luke-humphries-35011224)
The break comes ahead of Littler’s Nordic Darts Masters debut against Viktor Tingstrom on June 6, 2025, in Copenhagen, and the World Cup of Darts, where he’ll team up with Humphries for England. Littler’s history of prioritizing rest—he skipped the 2024 Nordic Masters for a family holiday in Orlando, per *Mirror Online*—shows his awareness of balancing his meteoric rise. Fans on X, like @DartsNews02, echoed his relief, posting, “Littler comes up short in bid for Premier League glory,” while @Riccoshire1999 noted his frustration with travel, hinting at future considerations like YouTube, though Littler dismissed retirement talk, saying, “I’m going nowhere,” per *Mirror Sport*. With £1.91 million in career earnings and a No. 4 world ranking, Littler’s brief hiatus aims to recharge him for the World Cup and beyond.
