Luke Humphries Reveals Why He Didn’t Watch Luke Littler's World Championship Victory

TDT | Manama

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Luke Humphries, the World No.1 darts player, has opened up about his decision to skip watching the World Darts Championship final, where Luke Littler defeated Michael van Gerwen. Despite entering the prestigious tournament at Alexandra Palace with hopes of defending his title, Humphries revealed he needed a break from the sport after an intense December filled with darts.

Speaking to The Mirror, Humphries admitted that he simply couldn’t bring himself to watch the final match. “I didn’t watch any of it,” he confessed. “My life had been all about darts in December, and I just wanted to switch it off for a little bit. I could wake up on the 31st and not think about darts for a change.”

Instead of tuning into the championship final, Humphries spent his time doing something that helped him relax: playing video games. “I was probably playing Call of Duty or something,” he said. Despite not watching the match in real time, Humphries kept up with the score intermittently, checking every half-hour. When Littler took a commanding 4-0 lead, Humphries knew the outcome was likely sealed. “He’s a bit like me, a great front-runner. When we get in front of people, we’re hard to peg back,” he noted. Although he heard the final wasn’t the most thrilling, he praised Littler for doing what was necessary to secure victory. “That’s the character he is.”

Looking back on his own World Championship journey, Humphries admitted to feeling disappointed after his loss to Peter Wright. Given his high aspirations, it was understandable, but he remains focused on the future. "Of course I was disappointed. But you can’t win it every time. I’ve hopefully got 20 more years in the sport and I’ve got plenty more opportunities to win another."

Reflecting on the bigger picture, Humphries took pride in the accomplishments of 2024. “It was a great year for me. I was in five or six major finals. That World Championship didn’t detract from what was a great year,” he said. The player’s determination to keep pushing for success in the sport remains unwavering.

One of Humphries' key targets for the future is to conquer the Premier League. While some players are put off by the extensive travel involved, Humphries is not one of them. "The travelling can be tough, but it’s a cool thing to be involved in. No arguments from me, I loved playing in it," he said. He emphasized his desire to win the Premier League, citing the prestige of joining the ranks of players who have won the World Championship, the Matchplay, and the Premier League. “It would be really special to win it,” he added.

As Humphries looks to the future, he remains driven and focused on adding more prestigious titles to his impressive career. With his ambition and determination, there’s no doubt the darting world will continue to see great things from him in the years to come.