Luke Littler Withdraws from International Darts Open Following Surprise Defeat in Berlin
Teen darts sensation Luke Littler has opted to sit out this weekend’s International Darts Open in Riesa, Germany, following a rare off-night during Thursday’s Premier League outing in Berlin.
The 18-year-old, who has been in sensational form since winning the PDC World Championship in January, suffered a shock 6-2 loss to Chris Dobey. Littler struggled with his finishing, missing 11 doubles — a surprising dip in form for the world No. 1 Premier League leader.
The decision to skip the tournament is part of Littler’s effort to better manage a packed 2025 schedule. While fans in Germany will miss out on seeing “The Nuke” at the SACHSENarena, fellow top players including Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall, and Gerwyn Price will still feature.
Humphries, currently second in the Premier League standings, will be the tournament favorite in Littler’s absence. The winner of the Riesa event will take home £30,000 from a total prize pool of £175,000.
Since his world title win, Littler has claimed four Premier League night victories and triumphed at the UK Open, racking up hundreds of thousands in prize money. His popularity in the darts world has soared, especially as he’s started to embrace the camaraderie on tour.
“He’s coming out of his shell,” Nathan Aspinall told talkSPORT. “He used to play his darts and head back to his room to game. Now he’s hanging out at the hotel bar and playing cards with us. He’s grown up a lot in the past year — but he’s had to, with everything that’s come his way.”
Despite his recent stumble, Littler remains atop the Premier League standings with nine weeks played — and will no doubt be looking to bounce back strongly next time out.
