Wayne Mardle says there’s “no ceiling” to what Luke Littler can achieve in darts after his latest major title at the World Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old demolished Luke Humphries 6-1 in Sunday night’s final to claim his seventh major TV tournament since bursting onto the scene at the World Championship less than two years ago.
Littler added the World Grand Prix to a trophy list that already features the World Championship, World Matchplay, Premier League, UK Open, Grand Slam and World Series, and he moved to within £70,000 of toppling Humphries at the top of the world rankings.
And Mardle has no doubt he will soon be the world No 1.
“He’s got it all,” he told Sky Sports.
“We all know he’s got it all. He knows he’s got it all. The world No 1 knows he’s got it.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Littler lifts the 2025 World Grand Prix trophy after defeating Humphries 6-1
“What I admire about him is the way that he just says it’s another one ticked off. And when he was talking about being world No 1, he says ‘I’ll get there’.
“There is no doubt in his mind about what he can achieve. There’s no ceiling to it.
“Everything he does or seemingly wants to do, he does achieve in the end.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Littler just missed the bullseye for a nine-darter in the World Grand Prix final.
Mardle failed to win a major title in a distinguished career and it is not lost on him how remarkable Littler’s rise has been.
The Sky Sports expert believes the focus can now be placed on Littler’s achievements, rather than his age.
“It is ridiculous him being 18, but you can actually forget that now, because it’s like it doesn’t seem to matter that he’s so young,” he added.
“He’s still new to the sport, but he’s not new to winning.
“He’s not new to all these kind of things that are happening to him. More has happened to him, positively, in his career than ever happened in mine and many other players’.
“He’s done so much more than those that have thrown for 40 years. He is a generational talent.
“He’s amazing, and he dismantled the world No 1. That’s how good he is.”
‘Admirable’ Humphries says the right things
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Humphries reflects on his tough 6-1 loss to Littler, vowing to work harder
After a chastening defeat, Humphries told Sky Sports that he plans to “get better” and “work harder” to make sure Littler doesn’t “walk away with it all the time”.
Mardle was impressed with the former world champion’s words and insists his performance was not one to be concerned about.
“I thought Luke Humphries in defeat gave one of the best interviews I think I’ve ever heard from, forget a darts player, but from a sportsman.
“He said ‘I’ve got to go away. I’ve got to practice, get better. Otherwise he’s going to win it all’.
“Luke Littler is very good, but Luke Humphries is the world No 1. He’s literally saying that he’s better right now, but he’s going to do all he can to hang on to the world No 1 spot, if he can progress and get better over the coming months and years.
“The way that he reacted in defeat, I thought, was just it was admirable.
“Let’s kind of get it right. Luke Humphries has been doing it under pressure as well, but someone else did it to him tonight.
“He just failed to play well in those last-leg deciders, and that was all it was.
“He can’t rip it apart. You can’t rip his performance apart. It was good. It just wasn’t as good at the right moments as Luke Littler. That was all.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The moment Littler claimed his first World Grand Prix title
Humphries and Littler have now contested six major TV finals and Mardle says the “monopoly” of the two Lukes could dominate the sport in the coming years.
“Two years ago, neither of them had won a thing. Luke Littler wasn’t on the PDC Tour and Luke Humphries hadn’t won anything except a couple of Pro Tour events.
“Twenty-two months later you look at what they’ve achieved. There’s no reason why they can’t do that for another two to four years.
“We know there’s going to be another phenom coming around the corner because it happens really quickly.
“There are others – Josh Rock, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen could come back – and the monopoly may stop.
“But champions find a way. These two find a way so often.”
What’s next?
The PDC ProTour continues with Players Championship events in Wigan on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the German Darts Championship start on Friday – the final event to qualify for the European Championship the following week.
The next TV major live on Sky Sports is the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton from November 8-16, before the World Darts Championship runs from December 11-January 3 at the Alexandra Palace. Stream darts, football, golf, cricket and more contract-free with NOW.
