Luke Littler Facing Unthinkable Situation After Withdrawing From Latest Event

Luke Littler could face a nightmare scenario after he recently pulled out of another Players Championship event.

Ahead of the Players Championship 28 event on Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that darts superstar Littler had withdrawn from the competition.

Alongside Littler, James Wade, the man who he beat in the final of the UK Open and the World Matchplay in 2025, and Joshua Richardson have also pulled out.

It is not the first event that the 18-year-old ahas withdrawn from this year, with him also opting out of competing in the European Darts Grand Prix and several other PDC events as he takes a more selective approach to the year.

But it is possible that his latest absence could have an unforeseen consequence that could end up being a massive blow to Littler later this season.

Luke Littler beat James Wade in the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay final. (Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

In two months, the best darts players in the world will arrive in Minehead to compete in the four-day Players Darts Championship Finals.

Last year's final saw Littler lose to rival Luke Humphries 7–4, but this year the teenager is risking missing out on the competition altogether.

To qualify for the Players Darts Championship Finals, a player must sit inside the top 64 of the Players Championship Order of Merit, a leaderboard that ranks players based on their tournament winnings in Players Championship events.

Given the fact that he has pulled out of several events throughout the season, Littler currently sits tied in 56th with a total earning of £21,000.

Although he is currently within the cut to make the finals in Minehead, his latest withdrawal means he is running the risk of players below him in the leaderboard performing well and overtaking him by late November.

Luke Humphries is one of the players attempting to take Littler's place in the top 64. (Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Notably, one of the players chasing Littler's spot in the top 64 is fellow 2024 finalist Humphries, who is just £1,000 behind his rival in earnings, sitting tied 63rd in the rankings.

Should Humphries perform well at the Players Championship 28 event, Humphries would take one step closer to securing his spot in the finals, and Littler would get closer to missing out on the big event.