Luke Littler’s meteoric rise in the world of darts continued on December 29, 2025, as the 18-year-old sensation powered his way into the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. In front of a raucous London crowd, Littler overcame both the boos and the formidable challenge of former champion Rob Cross, sealing a 4-2 victory that showcased not only his prodigious talent but also his steely resolve under pressure.
From the outset, Littler looked every bit the defending champion, averaging a sizzling 107 and hammering home 17 180s in a contest that crackled with tension and drama. The teenager, nicknamed ‘The Nuke,’ raced to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven clash, threatening to steamroll the 2018 champion. Yet, as so often happens on the Alexandra Palace stage, the tide nearly turned.
Cross, who had struggled to find his rhythm early on, clawed his way back into the match with a gutsy 126 checkout on the bull in the deciding leg of the fifth set, reducing the deficit to 3-2 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Sensing the momentum shift, Cross edged ahead 2-1 in the sixth set and stood on the brink of forcing a decider. But Littler, unfazed by the hostile reception, capitalized when Cross missed a crucial dart at tops, reeling off the next two legs to book his place in the last eight.
Speaking to Sky Sports moments after his victory, Littler addressed the crowd’s reaction with a mixture of bravado and gratitude: “I’m not bothered (about the crowd). Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money, so thank you for my money, thank you for booing me. I’ve just seen the stats but I wasn’t really thinking of anything. I just wanted to win the game. It was hostile, nobody wanted me to win, but I proved them wrong.”
For Littler, this run at Ally Pally is more than a title defense—it’s the latest chapter in a remarkable journey. He first tasted perfection at age 13, nailing a nine-dart finish while practicing at home during the COVID period. “I was 13. I came back from the Isle of Man and then we went into COVID and then I hit my nine-darter practicing,” Littler recalled to ESPN. “I think my mum heard me from downstairs!”
Littler’s opponent in the upcoming quarter-final will be determined by the result between Luke Woodhouse and Krzysztof Ratajski, both of whom have shown flashes of brilliance in the expanded 2026 tournament. With 128 players entering from round one and a record-breaking £5 million prize fund—including a staggering £1 million for the winner—this year’s World Darts Championship has set the stage for drama and upsets at every turn.
Elsewhere on December 29, Ryan Searle continued his red-hot form, averaging over 100 in a 4-0 whitewash of James Hurrell to secure his own quarter-final berth. Searle’s consistency throughout the tournament has made him a dark horse for the title, and he will next face either Jonny Clayton or Andreas Harrysson, both of whom have impressed in earlier rounds.
The day also saw 20-year-old Charlie Manby extend his dream debut, overcoming Ricky Evans 4-2 in a nervy encounter that tested his resolve on the doubles. Despite landing just four of his first 30 double attempts, Manby steadied himself to book a spot in round four and guarantee a £60,000 payday. “It was frustrating. I should have taken the first set, simple as that. I missed doubles, but at first to four there is a lot of time, so I think I recovered well and got my confidence back,” Manby reflected after the match.
There was no shortage of drama as Dutchman Kevin Doets pulled off a major upset, toppling 15th seed Nathan Aspinall 4-3 in a see-saw battle. Doets, who has now beaten Aspinall six times in a row, clawed back from behind three times before sealing the decider 3-0 with a spectacular 164 checkout. His next challenge? None other than 2024 world champion Luke Humphries, who himself has vivid memories of his first nine-darter: “I think [when I hit my first one] I was 16 or 17 in practice. I remember my first one on stage: that was in the European tour in Budapest. My first on TV was in the Premier League. So all three different feelings,” Humphries told ESPN.
Justin Hood, making his tournament debut, eased into the fourth round with a 4-1 victory over Ryan Meikle. Hood’s earlier victory over fifth seed Danny Noppert was a statement in itself, and while he didn’t quite hit those heights against Meikle, his early 3-0 lead proved insurmountable. Meikle did mount a brief resurgence with 146 and 147 finishes to take the fourth set, but Hood regained his composure to close out the match. Hood will now face Josh Rock, who rebounded from losing the first set to cruise past Callan Rydz 4-1.
Beyond the match results, the World Darts Championship continues to dazzle with its unique blend of high stakes and high drama. The allure of the perfect leg—the nine-dart finish—remains a central talking point, with Littler already having registered four televised nine-darters by the age of 18. The odds of achieving such perfection are long—2,557 to 1, according to PDC stats analyst Christopher Kempf—yet the frequency of these moments has increased as the sport’s standards climb ever higher. The championship’s sponsors have sweetened the pot, offering £60,000 to any player who hits a nine-darter, with matching sums for a lucky fan and for Prostate Cancer UK.
As the action heads into the quarter-finals, all eyes remain on Littler, who has not only embraced the pressure of defending his crown but has thrived under it. His rapid ascent, combined with the tournament’s expanded field and record prize money, has made the 2026 edition one for the ages. Can ‘The Nuke’ continue his charge and etch his name even deeper into darts lore? With the quarter-finals looming and the stakes higher than ever, fans won’t have to wait long for the next chapter to unfold at Alexandra Palace.
