Luke Littler is the youngest world champion ever, and the 17-year-old dean revealed how his preparations for this masterclass against Michael van Gerwen involved him reminiscing about his crushing loss to Luke Humphries in last year's final.
Littler wiped the floor with a three-time winner on Van Gerwen in less than an hour to secure the £500,000 grand prize at Alexandra Palace.
With an average of 102.73 in the 7-3 victory, he surpassed by seven years the previous record of the youngest PDC champion, originally set by Van Gerwen in 2014, when the Dutchman was 24 years old.
Littler later told us how he re-watched his loss to Humphries when he finished second in the 2024 edition and it helped him see what he had to do to win this time.
“No one knows, but I watched the whole game against Luke (Humphries) today and I had visions,” Littler said, speaking while fighting back tears. 'If I end 2025 with nothing, I'll take the big one. I can't believe it. Honestly, I can't believe it.
'I needed to start fast and that's what I did. Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy. That first game against Ryan Meikle, I still say, is the game that really mattered. I just settled.'
Michael van Gerwen gave another rude interview after being punched by Luke Littler
The 17-year-old won his first World Darts Championship in stunning fashion on Friday night.
The teenage sensation beat the three-time world champion 7-3 to take the Sid Waddell trophy.
Littler had battled nerves in his first win over Meikle, but here, the young man who turned 18 this month was cool personified on the Ally Pally stage.
He made 56 percent of his doubles (25 of 45) and added: “They were going well. I was practicing them backstage on the tops and 10s. The 32 at the end, I had to get it right. With the 2-0 up, I started to get nervous, but I said, “Relax.”
In the previous 12 months, Littler had raised more than £1 million in prize money, won 10 major tournaments, secured four finishes in nine darts and was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Now he has added the Holy Grail of the game of darts along with those accolades.
Initially, Littler looked like he wanted to seal it with the flourish of a check-out of 132, but after hitting two targets, he missed double 16. He came back to secure it on the next attempt, crying as he celebrated in front of a raucous crowd.
Meanwhile, the wait will continue for Van Gerwen's first world title since 2019. The 35-year-old, who averaged 100.69 and scored 37 per cent in his doubles, said after the defeat: “I fell behind 4-0 He wasn't doing me any justice. Every time he had the chance to hurt me, he did it. Fair play to him. I'm 35, he's 17. Every 17 years a star is born and he is. one of them.
'I had a wonderful tournament, I enjoyed every moment. At the beginning of the game, I was getting too disappointed. It is what it is. You take it on the chin and have to move on. Of course it hurts, but that's how it should be. I'm an old bastard compared to him!'