darts

World Grand Prix preview: Littler defends title as Humphries eyes second crown

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The World Grand Prix is the only major PDC event with a double-start format, so players must hit a double to begin each leg as well as to finish it.

Matches are played in sets, with first-round ties being the best of three sets and the final being the best of 11. The winner will receive £150,000, up from £120,000 last year.

The World Grand Prix has a reputation for early shocks, with a history of the sport's leading players exiting early because the first round is so short. Littler lost 2-1 to Rob Cross on his debut in 2024. Last year, Michael van Gerwen lost 2-0 to Dirk van Duijvenbode in his opening match.

Littler favourite to retain

So far in 2026, Littler has won the World Championship, the World Masters, the UK Open, the Premier League and the World Matchplay. He beat Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the Matchplay final with an average of 111.53, a record for the event.

His only defeat in a major this year came at the World Series of Darts Finals earlier in September, where Jonny Clayton beat him 10-4 in the quarter-finals.

Littler opens against Luke Woodhouse, who clinched his first PDC title at Players Championship 18 in May and followed it with his first European Tour title at the Baltic Sea Darts Open. The winner will play Nathan Aspinall, the 2022 runner-up, or Kevin Doets in round two.

Humphries searching for form

Humphries, the world number two, won the title in 2023 and has been runner-up in each of the last two years, losing to Mike De Decker in 2024 and to Littler in 2025. This year he has lost the World Masters and Premier League finals to Littler.

He also went out in the first round of the World Matchplay to Cameron Menzies, but won Players Championship 28 in August.

Humphries plays Dave Chisnall, who has twice been runner-up at the event, on Tuesday. The winner meets Chris Dobey or Jermaine Wattimena in round two. Littler and Humphries are in opposite halves of the draw and can only meet in the final.

Humphries' half also includes Gian van Veen, the reigning European champion, who lost to Littler in this year's World Championship final. He faces Van Duijvenbode, the 2020 runner-up, in an all-Dutch tie. James Wade, a two-time champion, won the Flanders Darts Trophy this month and plays Joe Cullen, while fan favourite Gary Anderson meets Damon Heta.

In Littler's half, Price, the 2020 champion, plays Sebastian Bialecki. Clayton, who won in 2021, meets Krzysztof Ratajski. Van Gerwen, a six-time winner, faces Ryan Joyce. Wessel Nijman, who has won more Players Championship titles than any other player this year, plays Cross.

Bookmakers make Littler the favourite, followed by Humphries, Van Veen and Price.

The first round will be played on Monday and Tuesday from 18:00 BST, and the second round on Wednesday and Thursday from 19:00 BST. The quarter-finals are on Friday, October 2nd.

The semi-finals are on Saturday, October 3rd, and the final is on Sunday, October 4th; both start at 20:00 BST.