‘Shutting them up’ – Darts star blasts social media ‘haters’ after losing to Luke Littler at New Zealand Masters
Mike De Decker, the world No. 19 darts player, passionately hit back at social media “haters” following his 7-3 quarterfinal loss to Luke Littler at the 2025 New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland on August 16, 2025. The Belgian, who faced Littler’s historic nine-dart finish in the match, used the defeat as fuel to silence critics who had targeted him after earlier struggles, particularly at the World Cup and World Matchplay. De Decker’s comments, reported by The Sun, came during a post-match interview where he expressed relief at reaching the Australian Darts Masters final the previous week, despite losing 8-4 to Littler (eng.pressbee.net, August 17, 2025).
“When I reached the final in Australia and lost to Luke, I opened up social media and didn’t see one bad comment,” De Decker said. “I was thinking, ‘Where are all the haters now?’ Everyone is slagging you off when you have a bad performance and forgetting what you’ve done before” (eng.pressbee.net). He highlighted the harsh online abuse he and other players, including Luke Humphries, endure, stating, “It’s not only with me but with everyone. They’ve been slagging off Luke Humphries as well. Look at what he’s done the last two years” (eng.pressbee.net). De Decker’s run to the New Zealand quarterfinals, defeating Gordon Mathers 6-1 with a 94.40 average and a 150 checkout, restored his confidence after a challenging period since his 2024 World Grand Prix win (oche180.com).
The Belgian’s frustration peaked after receiving “cruel” messages following his first-round World Cup exit and second-round Matchplay loss. “Social media is a hard world to live in,” he said, noting the toll of online trolling. “After the World Cup, when me and Dimitri [Van den Bergh] lost in the group stages, it was a really tough place to be on” (eng.pressbee.net). His strong performances Down Under, including a competitive showing against Littler’s nine-darter, were a personal triumph, as he added, “It was a big confidence boost to reach the finals and shutting them up, to be honest” (eng.pressbee.net).
De Decker’s defiance mirrors the resilience of athletes like Emma Raducanu, navigating personal challenges, or Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin preparing for the Davis Cup. Fans on X praised his response, with one post stating, “Mike De Decker calling out the haters after facing Littler’s nine-darter is iconic” (@DartsFanatic, August 16, 2025). As Littler claimed the title with a 115 average, De Decker’s stand against online negativity highlighted his mental fortitude ahead of future PDC events.
