Why Luke Littler Is Missing the 2026 Australian Darts Masters
The Australian Darts Masters gets underway this weekend, but several big names will be missing from the lineup.
Gerwyn Price heads into the tournament as the No. 1 seed, aiming to secure his second Australian title. He will be joined by Premier League stars including Josh Rock, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen as the World Series season reaches its final stages in Wollongong.
However, defending champion Luke Littler will not be there to defend his crown.
Why isn’t Luke Littler playing in Australia?
Littler, the reigning world champion, has opted to take a break from competitive darts and spend more time at home.
The 19-year-old last competed in July, when he successfully defended his World Matchplay title for a second consecutive year.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Littler explained that the demanding travel schedule had influenced his decision to skip the Australian and New Zealand events.
He said the number of flights required during his first full season on tour had been difficult, particularly when travelling to destinations such as Germany.
With Littler now sitting at the top of the rankings, he has the luxury of being selective about which tournaments he plays.
The darts star confirmed that he would not travel to Australia and New Zealand during the second and third weeks of August, giving himself an extended break.
That means Littler will spend the entire month of August away from competitive action for the first time, with Orlando among the destinations on his plans.
The Nuke has already visited Orlando three times.
When will Luke Littler return?
Littler is expected to return to competitive action in Leicester later this month for a Players Championship event.
His absence has also left him with no prize money on the Players Championship Order of Merit so far. Only the top 64 players qualify for the Players Championship Finals in November.
At present, the qualification cut-off is around Martin Schindler’s £25,500 in prize money, while winning an individual Players Championship event earns £15,000.
For now, Littler appears happy to sacrifice a few tournaments in exchange for some much-needed time away from the oche.
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