Luke Littler claimed his second consecutive World Matchplay title in Blackpool on Sunday, defeating Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final to extend a run of form that is prompting comparisons well beyond the world of darts.
The teenager, known as The Nuke, has now won every PDC major title on offer in 2026. No rival has come close to matching that record, and the margin of his Blackpool victory only strengthened the argument that he is operating in a class of his own.
Podcast Debate Puts Littler Alongside Scheffler and Sinner
Sky Sports’ Love The Darts podcast took up the question directly this week. Presenters Laura Turner and Chris Murphy weighed Littler against other candidates for the title of sport’s most dominant performer, including world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler and tennis grand slam champion Jannik Sinner.
Murphy acknowledged the difficulty of the comparison, noting that measuring dominance across different sports is not straightforward, particularly given that darts stages more major events than most other disciplines. Turner found it hard to argue against Littler’s claim regardless of how the criteria were set.
Darts’ Major Count Works in Littler’s Favour
The podcast discussion touched on one complicating factor: darts has more major tournaments than most comparable sports. Murphy suggested that if you narrowed the field to the top four equivalent titles — a grand slam model — Littler would still come out on top.
Scheffler has held the world number one ranking in golf for an extended period. Sinner is a credible candidate in tennis. Neither, according to Turner, gets near Littler when the full picture is considered.
A Second Straight Title in Blackpool
Littler’s retention of the World Matchplay is the latest marker in a calendar year that has seen him collect every major PDC event. The 18-9 scoreline against Price in the final was commanding. It was not a close match.
The darts community is now asking whether any opponent on the current circuit is capable of genuinely challenging him. That question has no clear answer at present.
