A glance through recent interviews and comments reminded me of an insightful thought from Adrian Lewis. “Jackpot” has been around for a while and often expresses interesting views on the game. Take, for example, his take on Luke Humphries.
Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis told Double Tops (sponsored by BetMGM) that Luke Humphries was “one of the best world number ones we’ve ever had” and has been “brilliant” for darts:
“He’s one of the best world number ones we’ve ever had. The way he conducts himself and how he comes across in interviews. He’s very professional and I think he’s been a real breath of fresh air in darts.
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“He didn’t ever really get his moment in the sun when he was world champion because of all the headlines about [Luke] Littler. He never showed any frustration or animosity about it when I think it’s fair to say most would have had a problem with the fact they weren’t getting any limelight.
“He handled it all so well and whether he was a bit frustrated on the inside, he didn’t show it at all on the outside. He’s been brilliant.”
Very little to argue with there – and a generous assessment from one professional to another. It also got us thinking about the other players who have held the coveted position and how they measure up.
PDC Darts World No. 1s
The ranking has been tracked – usually in days or weeks, as in tennis or golf – since it began in 1993. It was points-based until early 2007, then switched to a simple two-year rolling total of prize money earned in ranking events.
Based purely on total time at the top, Phil Taylor dominates with over 3,300 days – almost 1,000 days and more than two full years clear of his nearest rival. Michael van Gerwen would top a “longest consecutive” league: his unbroken reign lasted 2,559 days.
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Of the 14 players to have reached No. 1, the vast majority are immediately recognisable across eras: World Champions, multiple major winners, and / or players who dominated for at least a season or two. Peter Manley is perhaps the one exception, and his inclusion highlights a flaw in the early system.
The old points system vs the modern Order of Merit
From 1993 to early 2007 the points table did not always reflect who was winning the bigger, more difficult events. The old system rewarded volume – especially non-televised Pro Tour / floor events, so consistent travellers could outrank major/tv performers.
The clearest example came when the prize-money system officially began (and even in the provisional lists) around 2007.
Colin Lloyd had been World No. 1 for most of 2005 and 2006 (around 666 days in total) largely because he played far more lower-tier events than Phil Taylor, even though Taylor (and later Raymond van Barneveld and John Part) dominated the televised majors. Lloyd immediately dropped to No.3 as Taylor was the first to top the new ladder.
Put simply – although exact calculation is difficult without complete historical prize-money records – Phil Taylor would have spent significantly more time at the top in the 1990s and early 2000s (quite possibly the large majority of the pre-2007 period).
Consequently Colin Lloyd, Alan Warriner-Little, Rod Harrington and Peter Manley would almost definitely have had far fewer days at No. 1. It should be noted that the first three did enjoy strong major-winning periods, and that Taylor had not yet reached his absolute peak (and faced other challenges) during parts of the 1990s.
Manley’s only televised major was the Las Vegas Desert Classic, though his dartsdatabase.co.uk profile shows plenty of other titles. This is not to denigrate “One Dart” at all – players can only operate within the system of their time. He remains justly proud of belonging to the select band of PDC World No. 1s.
Back to Luke Humphries
Adrian Lewis was both correct and magnanimous. The idea of a back-to-back world champion never becoming World No. 1 can surely only have existed while Phil Taylor was topping the rankings.
Under the current prize-money system the financial gap between the World Championship and other events means that winning the Worlds for two seasons would normally be enough to hold the top spot even if another player won everything else. Jackpot is also right about the quality of Humphries’ spell.
Humphries was ranking king across only two calendar years (2024 and 2025) and is still 5th overall on total days. Look closer and he might well sit 3rd or 4th if the modern system had applied throughout. Cool Hand rose during the tail-end of Taylor’s dominance and the peak of van Gerwen’s reign, then had to navigate the rush of ferocious and frustrated talent that had been held back.
Bookended by an icon of one era and the game’s latest phenom, his record – and that fantastic demeanour – certainly ranks where Adrian suggested.
We’ll look at Luke Littler’s impressive arrival and give credit to the rest of this select band next time.
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*Approximate weeks are shown in brackets (days ÷ 7, rounded). Figures are based on the most consistent recent compilations (including Wikipedia updates into 2026).
