Phil Taylor issued a darts complaint as Luke Littler coped with a harsh reality check in Copenhagen.
Phil Taylor’s Darts Complaint Amid Luke Littler’s Copenhagen Setback
Phil Taylor, the 16-time darts world champion, voiced concerns about the Premier League Darts format being “very tiring” and in need of a revamp, following Luke Littler’s quarter-final exit at the Nordic Darts Masters 2025 in Copenhagen on June 7. Taylor’s complaint, reported by Express.co.uk, centered on the grueling 17-week Premier League schedule, which he and others like Steve Beaton criticized as “boring and repetitive” due to its weekly mini-tournament structure, leading to frequent high-profile matchups like Littler vs. Luke Humphries. Taylor’s remarks came after Humphries defeated Littler 11-8 in the 2025 Premier League final on May 29, a loss that highlighted the format’s intensity, per Sky Sports.
In Copenhagen, Littler faced a harsh reality check, losing 6-4 to Nathan Aspinall in the Nordic Darts Masters quarter-finals, despite a 101 average and a 124 checkout, per PDC.tv. Aspinall’s 45% checkout rate and six 180s outshone Littler’s 40% and four maximums, marking only his second career win over the 18-year-old, per Sky Sports. Littler, who debuted at the event after missing 2024 due to a vacation, had earlier beaten Viktor Tingstrom 6-2 but couldn’t sustain momentum, per dartsnews.com. The defeat, coupled with crowd hostility—objects were thrown during his first-round match, per Daily Star—underscored the pressures Littler faces as darts’ biggest star
Taylor’s broader concerns about player fatigue, echoed by Littler’s own comments about travel demands, suggest the sport’s schedule may be testing even its brightest talents. Littler, who has won 10 titles in 2024/25, including the World Championship, remains focused, telling ITV4, “I’ll come back stronger.” As he prepares for the World Cup of Darts with Humphries on June 12, Taylor’s call for reform highlights the need to protect players like Littler from burnout.
