Luke Humphries has sent shockwaves through the darts world after making a surprising admission ahead of the Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals.
The world number one delivered a superb performance on Friday night at the WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, cruising past Michael Smith 16–8 to book his place in the final four. Humphries will now face Gerwyn Price, who earned his semi-final berth with a 16–9 victory over Ricky Evans.
Elsewhere in the draw, Luke Littler is preparing for a blockbuster showdown with Josh Rock, while Danny Noppert and Lukas Wenig continue their push for a spot in the last four.
But after defeating Smith, Humphries revealed a major update about his long-term plans—and it caught many by surprise.
The reigning world champion admitted he is seriously considering skipping large portions of the PDC Pro Tour in 2026 so he can remain fresh for the biggest events of the season.
According to The Sun, the 30-year-old said:
“I’ve been thinking about not playing any Players Championships next year, to be honest. Giving the whole tour a miss, because it’s so busy and you have to prioritise what you want to do. I’ll see how I feel. It’s 34 weeks—34 days of darts.”
Humphries explained that he may begin the season as normal, but will reassess depending on how he performs early on.
“I might give it a go at the start and, if it doesn’t go my way, maybe just miss it and focus on everything else. It’s a busy lifestyle—but we’re fortunate to have so much darts.”
He stressed that the idea isn’t a complaint, but rather a personal decision about workload and balance.
“It’s not like I’m moaning. It might just be my decision to spend those 34 days at home and miss one big tournament to sacrifice it. I’ll see how it goes.”
Humphries also acknowledged the difference between floor events and stage tournaments in terms of motivation and performance.
“I do enjoy the ProTour, a little bit, but it’s hard. When I’m on the big stage, I play my best. On the floor, I just don’t—so it’s harder for me.”
The revelation adds a dramatic twist to the latter stages of the Grand Slam, as the sport’s top-ranked player weighs a major career adjustment amid a packed professional schedule.
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