What's happened
Luke Littler has won the Czech Open in Prague, defeating Luke Humphries in the final after a late rally. The 19-year-old world number one secures a place in Dortmund and eyes a calendar-year sweep of ranking events in 2026. Greaves becomes first woman to win a European Tour event, beating Daryl Gurney in a landmark run.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Littler’s Czech Open win reinforces his status as a rising star in darts, as he defeats multiple top players including Humphries. The final was decided by a critical missed double by Humphries, allowing Littler to clinch victory.
- Greaves’ historic win marks a milestone for women on the European Tour, showcasing growth and increasing competition in the sport.
- The event features high-profile matchups: Littler vs Ratajski, Humphries vs Gilded, and the emergence of Greaves as a serious contender on a major stage.
Key questions for readers:
- How will Littler’s calendar-year sweep shape the European Tour standings?
- Will Greaves’ breakthrough alter the pipeline for female players in darts?
- What does this imply for the partnerships and sponsorships around the European Tour in 2026?
How we got here
Littler returned to European Tour action after a short break, facing top rivals as he pursues a calendar sweep. Humphries, the world number two, has been pushing hard in Prague, with other notable results from Greaves in a historic week.
Our analysis
BBC Business: Luke Littler’s Czech Open triumph. Independent: Greaves makes history as first woman to win on the European Tour. Additional coverage tracks other big names like van Gerwen and Price.
Go deeper
- Will Littler maintain momentum into Dortmund and beyond?
- Can Greaves translate this breakthrough into sustained success on the European Tour?
- Which players are next to challenge the top ranks in Prague?
More on these topics
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Luke Humphries - English darts player
Luke Humphries is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. He won the 2019 PDC World Youth Championship.
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Daryl Gurney - Northern Irish darts player
Daryl Gurney is a Northern Irish professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.
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Beau Greaves - English darts player
Beau Greaves is an English professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and previously competed in World Darts Federation and British Darts Organisation events.
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Prague - Capital of the Czech Republic
Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, the 13th largest city in the European Union and the historical capital of Bohemia.
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Luke Littler - Darts player
Luke Littler is an English professional darts player who currently plays in the Professional Darts Corporation events. He is the current PDC World Youth Champion.
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Michael van Gerwen - Dutch darts player
Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number one in the world and is a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Van Gerwen began playing darts at the age of 13.
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Gian van Veen - Dutch darts player
Pieter Gerard "Gian" van Veen (born 23 April 2002) is a Dutch professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is ranked world number three. He won the 2025 European Championship and is the reigning back-to-back PDC world youth champion. He was also the runner-up at the 2026 PDC World Championship. In youth darts, Van Veen won the 2024 and 2025 PDC World Youth Championships, as well as nine PDC Development Tours, including six titles in 2023 to top the 2023 Development Tour rankings. His first deep run at a major tournament came at the 2023 European Championship, where he reached the semi-finals. In 2025, he won his first PDC ranking title at Players Championship 6 and his first PDC major title at the 2025 European Championship, defeating Luke Humphries in the final on both occasions. The following year, having lost his opening match in his two prior World Championship appearances, Van Veen reached the 2026 PDC World Championship final, losing to Luke Littler.
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Gerwyn Price - Welsh rugby union player
Gerwyn Price is a Welsh professional darts player and former professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. Nicknamed "The Iceman", he competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation.
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Andrew Gilding - English darts player
Andrew Gilding is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. He made his television debut in 2011.
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Krzysztof Ratajski - Polish darts player
Krzysztof Ratajski is a Polish professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2017 World Masters.