Luke Humphries called out by former PDC star over trait he's usually praised for

Luke Humphries is known for his sportsmanlike behaviour in darts, but according to former PDC professional Vincent van der Voort, players need to stop being friendly during a match.

Humphries clinched his second World Grand Prix title and the £150,000 prize on Sunday after beating Gerwyn Price 6-4 in a thrilling final.

'Cool Hand' impressively battled back from 3-0 down to floor the Welshman, and in doing so, became only the fifth player in PDC history to win at least nine PDC majors after James Wade, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler and Phil Taylor.

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Vincent van der Voort questions Luke Humphries' friendly behaviour on the oche

Sportsmanship between darts players has become increasingly visible in recent years. A fist bump after a tidy finish or a hug after a key leg are two of the many ways players are showing appreciation for their opponents.

That respect was on show during an exciting World Grand Prix final, when Humphries took out a 105 finish to turn the match in his favour after Price missed a dart at double tops and squandered a chance to go 4-0 up.

Price and Humphries hugged each other after the fourth set, but former UK Open finalist Vincent van der Voort argues that they should save this sportsmanlike behaviour for once the match is complete.

"If it happens after the match and you’re sporting with each other, then it’s not that big a deal,” he explained on the Darts Draait Door podcast. “Only in darts is it almost turning into a group of friends.

“Humphries takes out 105, and it becomes 3-1. That match is far from over, and they’re hugging each other. As if everything that’s happening is great fun. Yes, it’s fun, but no: not at that moment.

"Price had him where he wanted and could have made it 4-0 to pull away. Now he gets dragged back into the match, and then he went 4-3 behind. That’s not fun when that happens," he continued.

Years ago, Price was known for overstepping the line on the oche, particularly during his 2018 Grand Slam of Darts showdown with Gary Anderson, when the Welshman was fined £11,500 total for his aggressive celebrations and on-stage clash with the Scotsman.

'The Iceman' is still an imposing figure these days, but is no longer the pantomime villain after toning down his aggressive behaviour and winning back some supporters' hearts with his respectfulness.

Humphries, on the other hand, has always been known for the respect he shows towards his opponents, which has been highlighted as a positive on several occasions.

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Luke Humphries has been praised for his sportsmanship

During his World Championship clash against Paul Lim in December 2025, the world No. 2 earned widespread praise for seemingly taking his foot off the gas to allow the 72-year-old to get a set on the board during his 3-1 victory.

"The first two sets, I knew I had to come out fighting because the crowd were going to be on his side," Humphries said after the game.

"When I went 2-0 up, everything was going well. The third set wasn't as great but I didn't want to destroy him 9-0 [in legs], that wasn't really what I wanted to happen. I wanted to win 3-0 in sets but I'm glad he got a leg at the end there because he didn't deserve that [9-0 defeat]."

Wayne Mardle then waxed lyrical about Humphries' behaviour in the 2026 Premier League final. Although the 31-year-old suffered a gut-wrenching defeat to Littler, he was quick to console his opponent - who broke down in tears during his post-match interview - in what was a heartwarming display of sportsmanship.

"This is the culmination of all that effort, and it came out for Littler. He was inconsolable. What has to be said, Luke Humphries coming over and giving him a hug there," Mardle said.

"That's the classiest thing you'll see all evening; that's a proper champion. He's just been beaten in a final that he so wanted to win and he's still got the heart to do that with Luke Littler."