Teenage sensation Luke Littler, the reigning PDC World Champion and world No. 2, has been handed a formidable first-round test at the 2025 World Grand Prix, drawing Dutch prodigy Gian van Veen in a clash of youth and emerging talent. The draw, confirmed on September 29, 2025, sets up an intriguing opener for “The Nuke” in the double-in, double-out format event at Leicester’s Morningside Arena from October 6-12. Van Veen, the 2024 World Youth Champion and a rising force on the Pro Tour, represents a stern challenge for Littler as he chases a fourth televised ranking title of the year.
The Matchup: Littler vs. Van Veen
As the second seed, Littler faces 20-year-old van Veen in a best-of-five-sets opener on Monday, October 6—potentially broadcast on Sky Sports. Van Veen, ranked around No. 45 on the Order of Merit, earned his spot via the Pro Tour rankings and has shown flashes of brilliance, including a Players Championship 26 victory in April 2025 and deep runs in European Tour events. Their head-to-head is level at 1-1: Littler won their 2024 World Youth Championship final (5-3), but van Veen edged a 6-5 thriller at the 2025 International Darts Open in March.
Littler, fresh off a World Matchplay title in July and a dominant 2025 (including the UK Open and nine-dart heroics in the Premier League), enters as the clear favorite. However, the Dutchman’s aggressive scoring—averaging over 95 in recent Pro Tour wins—and comfort with the format make this no gimme. “Gian’s got that fire; he won’t back down,” Littler said post-draw, acknowledging the threat while eyeing progression to a potential last-16 clash with the winner of Michael van Gerwen vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Full First-Round Draw
The 32-player field features a mix of Order of Merit heavyweights and Pro Tour qualifiers, with all matches best-of-five sets:
| Seed/Player | vs. | Opponent |
|————-|—–|———-|
| Luke Humphries (1) | vs. | Nathan Aspinall |
| **Luke Littler (2)** | vs. | **Gian van Veen** |
| Michael van Gerwen (3) | vs. | Dirk van Duijvenbode |
| Stephen Bunting (4) | vs. | Niko Springer |
| James Wade (5) | vs. | Joe Cullen |
| Jonny Clayton (6) | vs. | Andrew Gilding |
| Gerwyn Price (7) | vs. | Ryan Searle |
| Chris Dobey (8) | vs. | Cameron Menzies |
| Rob Cross | vs. | Wessel Nijman |
| Josh Rock | vs. | Ryan Joyce |
| Damon Heta | vs. | Luke Woodhouse |
| Gary Anderson | vs. | Raymond van Barneveld |
| Danny Noppert | vs. | Jermaine Wattimena |
| Ross Smith | vs. | Daryl Gurney |
| Peter Wright | vs. | Mike De Decker (defending champion) |
| Martin Schindler | vs. | Krzysztof Ratajski |
Other marquee ties include world No. 1 Humphries vs. 2022 runner-up Aspinall, a repeat of their epic 2023 final, and three-time winner van Gerwen vs. van Duijvenbode. Defending champ Mike De Decker faces Peter Wright in a bid to retain his crown.
Littler’s Path and Stakes
A win over van Veen would pit Littler against van Gerwen or van Duijvenbode in the second round—a potential blockbuster given MvG’s 14-3 head-to-head edge (though Littler won their last meeting at the 2025 World Championship final, 7-3). Deeper progression could see rematches with Humphries or Price, both of whom Littler has beaten in majors this year.
The World Grand Prix offers £500,000 in prize money, with £25,000 to the winner—Littler’s third appearance after quarterfinal (2023) and last-16 (2024) exits. At 18, he’s already the youngest world champion ever (winning in January 2025 at 17 years and 347 days), and a strong showing would bolster his bid for a year-end No. 1 ranking push. Van Veen, meanwhile, views the tie as a “dream debut” against his idol.
Why It’s a Tough Hurdle
Van Veen’s youth (four years younger than Littler’s debut age) and fearless style mirror Littler’s own rise, but his recent form—reaching the Last 32 in six of his last eight Pro Tour events—adds unpredictability. Analysts predict a tight opener, with Littler’s 102.5 average needed to avoid an upset. “It’s the kind of draw that keeps you sharp,” said PDC chairman Barry Hearn. Fans are buzzing on social media: #LittlerVee n trending with memes of “Nuke vs. Mini-Nuke.”
With the event live on Sky Sports and PDCTV, all eyes will be on whether Littler navigates this early test en route to his first World Grand Prix title.
