Teen Darts Star Littler Breaks 13-Year-Old Records

At 19 years old, Luke Littler just delivered one of the most dominant performances in darts history, smashing records that stood for over a decade.

The world number one defended his World Matchplay title in Blackpool, defeating Gerwyn Price 18-9 with an average of 111.53 in the final. That topped Phil Taylor's 2013 final record of 111.23, previously considered nearly untouchable.

But Littler didn't stop there. His week-long tournament average of 111.04 shattered Taylor's 2010 record of 106.31, and he hit 66 total 180s across the event, breaking his own record from last year.

The teenager took home £225,000 in prize money and now sits £2.13 million ahead of second place Luke Humphries in the PDC order of merit. He's won four ranking titles already this calendar year and hasn't lost a match over 20 legs in 29 straight attempts.

"It's been a crazy week, one of the best weeks of my life with the darts I've played," Littler told Sky Sports after the match. Despite the dominant scorelines, he emphasized the difficulty of performing under pressure in the intense heat of the stage.

Price, despite the loss, praised his opponent's exceptional talent. "Luke is one in a million, I threw everything at him," Price said. "I hope there's no-one else like him coming through because he's ridiculous!"

Why This Inspires

What makes Littler's achievement remarkable isn't just the record breaking. It's watching someone so young handle immense pressure with grace and continue pushing boundaries in a sport dominated by veterans for decades.

His opponent Price averaged an impressive 104.97 in the final, a performance that would typically win championships. Against Littler, it wasn't enough.

Now the teenager has set his sights on something never accomplished before: winning all PDC ranking titles in a single calendar year. The Players Championship Finals in November presents the biggest challenge, requiring him to compete in Pro Tour events he's previously skipped.

"I don't think my dad's too happy because we were going to go to Spain and I think we've got to go to Leicester now and play some Pro Tours," Littler joked. The path won't be easy, but former world champion Mark Webster believes in the possibility: "Who is going to stop Luke Littler?"

At 19, Littler is rewriting what's possible in professional darts and inspiring a new generation to pick up the sport.