‘Never Felt Like The World Number One’ – Emotional Luke Humphries After Losing Top Spot To Luke Littler
An emotional Luke Humphries has admitted he “never truly felt like the World Number One” after surrendering the top spot in the PDC rankings to teenage sensation Luke Littler. The usually composed Humphries opened up following his latest defeat to the rising star, offering a candid reflection on what the ranking meant—and why he struggled to embrace it.
Humphries, who enjoyed a remarkable rise to the summit earlier in the season, revealed that while the accolade was an honour, it came with a type of weight he never fully settled into. “I’m proud I reached World Number One, but I’ll be honest—I never really felt like it belonged to me,” he said. “It always felt like I was trying to live up to something.”
That something, many believe, is the unrelenting pressure of defending the position in a season where Littler has been setting new standards almost weekly. The 18-year-old’s rapid ascent through the rankings has been one of the biggest storylines in darts, and his latest triumph was enough to dethrone Humphries, whose performances—though strong—haven’t matched his peak earlier in the year.
Humphries admitted that watching Littler’s meteoric rise has been both inspiring and challenging. “He’s phenomenal. When someone plays at that level consistently, you have to be near perfect just to keep up. And I wasn’t good enough at certain moments,” he acknowledged. Despite the disappointment, there was no bitterness—only admiration for the teenager who has taken the sport by storm.
While some fans speculated that losing the top spot might dent Humphries’ confidence, the man himself believes the opposite may be true. He hinted that he feels a sense of release now that he’s no longer the one everyone is hunting. “It might actually be good for me. Being number one came with a lot of pressure, and maybe now I can just focus on being the best version of myself again. I know what level I can play at.”
Analysts have praised Humphries’ honesty, noting that many players struggle to talk openly about the mental side of holding the sport’s most prestigious ranking. With several major tournaments still ahead, the 2025 season remains wide open—and Humphries insists he will fight back.
“I’ve lost the number one spot, but I haven’t lost my belief. I’ll be back. Maybe next time I’ll feel like I deserve it,” he said, ending on a mixture of determination and humility.
