Luke Littler Defeats Luke Humphries to Claim 2026 Czech Darts Open Title

The best rivalry in modern darts just delivered another classic. Luke Littler marked his return to the European Tour stage with a spectacular 8-6 victory over Luke Humphries on Sunday night, claiming the 2026 ČEZ Czech Darts Open title in Prague.[1][3]

The 19-year-old world number one had not thrown a dart on the European Tour since winning the Belgian Darts Open in March 2026. However, he arrived at the PVA Expo looking entirely unbothered by the six-month absence. He opened his weekend campaign by dismantling Germany's Niko Springer with a blistering 108.59 average, setting the tone for a dominant run to the final.[2][4]

His path to the championship match included a 6-0 whitewash of Danny Noppert in the quarter-finals and a 7-3 drubbing of Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals, where he averaged an impressive 106.64.[1]

The final pitted the sport's top two players against each other in a back-and-forth thriller. Littler seized the early momentum to go 2-0 up, but Humphries—the defending Prague champion who was chasing a record-extending fourth title in the Czech capital—clawed his way back to take a 4-3 lead.[3][4]

The turning point arrived when Littler strung together four consecutive legs. The surge was highlighted by a breathtaking 130 checkout on the bullseye, establishing a 7-4 advantage and putting the teenager on the brink of victory.[1][4]

Humphries, who nearly withdrew from the tournament on Thursday due to a shoulder injury, refused to fold. The world number two fired back with his second 11-dart leg of the contest to close the gap to 7-6. He then had two darts at double 16 to force a sudden-death decider.[1][3]

He missed both. Littler immediately stepped up to the oche and pinned double 10 for the championship, finishing with a 95.25 average to Humphries' 94.81.[3][4]

"This is what the fans are in for—me and Luke are back," Littler said after lifting the trophy. "The two best going at it in a final once again. I'm glad I've won. It's good to be back, and I'm back with a bang."[1][4]

For Humphries, the £15,000 runner-up finish was a testament to his grit. "It's been a great run for me, making four out of five finals," he admitted. "I was going to pull out on Thursday, and I made the final, so I can't be too upset with myself because I did really well."[4]

The victory secures Littler's sixth career European Tour crown and guarantees his qualification for next month's European Championship in Dortmund, setting the stage for a high-stakes autumn run as the PDC calendar accelerates.[1][4]