‘What am I going to do?’ – Luke Littler fumes at Grand Slam of Darts draw after being stuck in Wolverhampton
Luke Littler admitted he was “frustrated” and “bored out of his mind” after the Grand Slam of Darts schedule left him effectively stranded in Wolverhampton for several days, unable to return home between matches due to the tight turnaround of the knockout draw.
The defending champion, who cruised into the quarter-finals this week, revealed that the tournament timetable — with long gaps between sessions but short gaps between match days — left him stuck in the city with little to do and no opportunity to reset at home.
“What am I going to do? Just sit in my hotel?”
Speaking to Sky Sports after securing his place in the last eight, Littler didn’t hide his irritation.
“The schedule is weird this year. I can’t go home for one night because it’s too far, but I’m also not playing until late the next day. I’m just stuck here thinking, ‘What am I going to do? Just sit in my hotel?’”
The teenage star, who usually balances practice sessions with time at home in Warrington, said the downtime was affecting his rhythm.
“You want to stay sharp, but you also don’t want to sit around doing nothing for 24 hours. It just messes with your head.”
Fans laugh — but Littler insists it’s not a joke
Supporters online initially treated the comments light-heartedly, joking about Wolverhampton’s limited entertainment options.
But Littler doubled down, making clear the issue was the scheduling — not the city.
“Look, Wolves is fine. But when you’re stuck anywhere with no plan, it gets annoying. If I could go home, I would. But I can’t.”
Calls for PDC to review scheduling
Littler’s comments added momentum to ongoing player complaints about congested or irregular tournament structures. Several professionals have recently criticised the PDC for:
- Scheduling late-night matches followed by early afternoon sessions
- Long “dead days” between group-stage games
- Travel burdens during multi-city events
- Limited recovery time for younger or lower-seeded players
One top-20 player told reporters anonymously:
“It’s not about babysitting players — it’s about performance. Fans want quality darts. Give players a fair structure and you’ll get it.”
Littler still focused despite frustration
Despite the irritation, Littler insisted he would be ready when it mattered, especially with a potential world No.1 ranking on the line if he reaches the Grand Slam final.
“Once I’m on stage, everything’s fine. It’s just the in-between that’s annoying. I’ll deal with it. I always do.”
With his quarter-final against Josh Rock looming — a rematch of their legendary 18–16 Matchplay thriller — Littler knows the spotlight will be back on the darts, not the downtime.
Bottom line
Luke Littler is firing on the board, but frustrated off it.
The teenage sensation is calling for a rethink of tournament scheduling after finding himself stuck in Wolverhampton with too much time to kill and no chance to return home.
If the PDC wants its biggest young star at his sharpest, his message is clear:
Fix the gaps, fix the grind.
