Freshly re-crowned PDC World Champion, Luke Littler once again reached out and took hold of history, defeating Michael van Gerwen to become the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters winner.On the eve of his nineteenth birthday, The Nuke reminded the sport that debut stages do not intimidate him – they energise him.
Granted, this was a brand-new tournament, unfamiliar to all, but even in a room full of first-timers there was one figure who looked entirely at home, as though the occasion had been waiting for him rather than the other way around.
The evening unfolded along sharply contrasting opening quarter-final paths. Van Gerwen survived a bruising, untidy encounter with Stephen Bunting, a contest defined less by elegance than endurance. Neither man truly sang, but the Dutchman was in tune slightly more than the Liverpudlian, emerging as the best of a stubborn, scrappy exchange.
Littler’s route was far more glittering. He slipped 3–0 behind against Gian van Veen before calmly dismantling the deficit, flipping the fixture on its head and finishing with a searing 111.58 average – a statistical statement that suggested panic had never been invited into the conversation.
It was also the match that flirted closest with immortality all weekend, The Nuke reeling off seven perfect darts and hauling the crowd to the very edge of a £100,000 moment – the glittering prize dangling there for anyone banging in a truly magical leg.The semi-finals brought further narrative weight.
Van Gerwen, trailing 4–2 against Nathan Aspinall, gathered himself with purpose, rolling back momentum to secure a place in back-to-back World Series finals. Aspinall had been flowing, comfortable, in command – and perhaps the interval arrived at the worst possible moment. When the players returned, the rhythm had shifted.
There were finishes of rare quality throughout, but when the moment demanded clarity, Van Gerwen delivered it with cold precision.The World Champ, meanwhile, dealt swiftly with unfinished business. Gerwyn Price, the architect of his Bahrain exit, was dispatched in another tight, combustible contest.
A 4–2 lead at the break proved treacherous once more, with the Iceman threatening early before gradually yielding ground to the 18-year-old’s relentless pressure. And so, to the final. A man who has lifted more World Series titles of any description than Luke Littler has celebrated birthdays stood opposite a phenomenal teenager intent on further glory.
Van Gerwen, buoyed by his Bahrain success, sought to set the tone for 2026 with authority. Littler had no interest in waiting.A 4–0 deficit is a dangerous place to stand against the world number one – even for someone as decorated Dutchman. To his credit, he fought, clawed, and surged back, creating chances to level the match entirely.
But darts is unforgiving. Two missed darts for parity proved costly, and the punishment was immediate – Littler stepping in to take out a ton-plus checkout and restore daylight.From there, inevitability crept in. Littler gathered just enough momentum, just enough control, to keep the great Dutchman at arm’s length. Another title secured. Another line written into the record books.
And another maiden landmark event completed for the Professional Darts Corporation, the organisation continuing to stretch the map, broaden the stage, and quietly remind the sport that its future is not only expanding – it is accelerating.
QUARTER-FINALS
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Man Lok Leung
Luke Littler 6-4 Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Humphries
SEMI-FINALS
Michael Van Gerwen 7-5 Nathan Aspinall
Luke Littler 7-5 Gerwyn Price
FINAL
Luke Littler 8-5 Michael Van Gerwen
—–Emds—–
Images: T Lanning / PDC
