Littler wants to be 'greatest darts player ever' - how close is he to Taylor?

Luke Littler posted the highest tournament average in World Matchplay Darts history to successfully defend his title in Blackpool; Littler thrashed Gerwyn Price to continue his run of winning every PDC major title in 2026 and receive fresh praise

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>Luke Littler has reiterated his dream to become the ‘greatest darts player ever’ after his dominant Betfred World Matchplay title defence, with the world No 1’s latest win drawing further comparisons to Phil Taylor’s past record-breaking success.

>Littler capped off a historic week at Blackpool's Winter Gardens becoming the first player since Michael van Gerwen to successfully defend his title, continuing his record of winning every PDC major title in 2026 so far.

>The book of darting superlatives is rapidly running out of pages to describe Littler's brilliance, with the teenager continuing to climb to generational heights in the sport and overtake many records held by childhood idol Taylor.

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>Littler had already defended titles at the World Championship and the UK Open, plus won the Winmau World Masters, Premier League and the World Cup of Darts, with the 19-year-old now chasing more success in the months and years ahead.

>"I don't think anyone has ever won every major in the calendar year and that is what we are pushing for," Littler told Sky Sports. "The family, they are always backing me a million per cent and that is what drives me on.

>"I would absolutely love to be the greatest dart player there ever has been. As I have always said, I have got to win 16 of these, 16 worlds, and then have a look at whatever else Phil Taylor did win.

>"I have got plenty more years. When am I going to retire? Who knows. I have still got plenty more years left in the tank."

>Littler: Matchplay win 'one of the best weeks'

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>Littler smashed the highest tournament average, posting 111.04 across his five matches to beat Taylor's 2010 previous best of 106.31, plus broke his own record of most 180s at a World Matchplay.

>"I am very happy with myself and the performances, not only in the final but the past eight days, every round," Littler added. "It is crazy to say that the 109 average was my worst average throughout the tournament!"

>Littler may have his hands back on the trophy named after Taylor, but he would need to win every World Matchplay until 2040 just to equal the all-time title tally of 'The Power'.

>In 2007, six months after Luke Littler was born, Phil Taylor made a quarter-final exit at the World Matchplay - just the second time this century that 'The Power' had been beaten on the Winter Gardens stage.

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>Seven years later, the week after Littler left year two of primary school, Taylor had still not lost another match at the event and was closing out a seventh consecutive World Matchplay title.

>Taylor won a record 38 consecutive matches during that title streak and lost just eight times in his 24-year career at the World Matchplay, with no player since coming remotely close to beating those extraordinary achievements.

>The trophy comparisons may be a mismatch but the scoring differences between the two are certainly not, with Littler posting the second-highest tournament winning average in the sport's history and just 0.5 points behind Taylor's 2009 European Championship win - despite playing over double the legs Taylor did that week

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>"I can still get better," Littler insisted in his press conference. "I can obviously get a lot better. Through the matches I was up to a 120 average at one point. I didn't stick at it, but maybe in a few years' time I will stick at it and go up to that when the match is finished.

>"At the minute, I'm playing some of the best stuff and I've just got to keep it there."

>Littler was described by Price as "one in a million" and has taken plenty of plaudits from his peers for his run to another TV title, with his success more impressive given the growing depth at the top of sport.

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>"Luke's dominance over the last 12 months has been very Taylor-esque and that's why he's reached that figure (£3m in prize money), which is a huge figure and one that we've never had before," PDC chief executive Matt Porter told Sky Sports.

>"I don't think the mentality of the opponents is the same (as Taylor's era). 20-odd years ago, players would see getting to the final as their championship.

>"You wouldn't get that answer off Gerwyn Price, you wouldn't get it off Luke Humphries, Michael Van Gerwen, Steven Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Jonny Clayton - those guys are not here to make up the numbers.

>"Luke at the moment is almost unstoppable. Nobody's ever unstoppable, but with the way he's playing, someone's really going to have to up their game if they're going to beat him."

>Further title defences at the Boyle Sports World Grand Prix (September 28-October 4) and Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts (November 14-22) are to come for Littler, who already holds a record-breaking advantage at the top of PDC rankings.

>Littler will look to claim his elusive TV ranked title at the European Championship (October 22-25), while winning all three would leave him just requiring the Players Championship Finals (November 27-29) to complete a sweep of every major and big TV event in a calendar year.

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>Phil Taylor's impressive 2009 season didn't contain the Premier League title or the World Cup of Darts, which didn't launch until the following year, while Van Gerwen's 2016 dominance was also missing World Cup glory. Littler has the chance to surpass both with his campaign.

>Littler has been skipping ProTour events during the season to leave qualification for the Players Championship Finals in doubt, although his latest win - and thoughts of claiming all the majors in the same - has changed his schedule plans over the coming months.

>"Coming into the tournament I'd won every major so far so this is what I wanted to do," Littler explained. "I have been checking the Pro Tour rankings - whoever is in 64th (final qualification spot) just keeps going up and up!

>"I know there is four (Players Championship events) in Leicester I have got to go to now. If I don't qualify I will get grilled and if I qualify I will get grilled anyway, so who knows what is going to happen."

>Littler has already cemented himself as one of the darting greats in just over two and a half years as a professional. The thought of him getting even better in pursuit of more records is a terrifying - but exciting - prospect.

>Watch Luke Littler's push for more TV silverware live on Sky Sports, including the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship. Stream darts and more top sport with no contract.