Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price Set for £150,000 World Grand Prix Showdown
Luke Humphries has another chance to cement his place in World Grand Prix history tonight, but standing in his way is a player who knows exactly what it takes to win this title. The 2026 final in Leicester has everything darts fans could ask for: two former champions, a familiar rivalry and £150,000 waiting for the winner.
Humphries will face Gerwyn Price at the Mattioli Arena after both survived demanding semi-finals on Saturday. Humphries beat James Wade 5-3, while Price overcame Nathan Aspinall 5-2, setting up a repeat of the 2023 World Grand Prix final.
For Humphries, though, this is about much more than prize money. Reaching the final for a fourth consecutive year is already unprecedented, but the world number two has made it clear that another runner-up finish would not satisfy him.
Humphries Wants the Trophy, Not Just the Record
Humphries’ run to the final has been impressive, particularly considering how his tournament began. He defeated Dave Chisnall 2-0, Jermaine Wattimena 3-0 and Niels Zonneveld 3-0 before finally dropping sets against Wade in the semi-final.
Against Wade, Humphries showed exactly why he remains one of the most dangerous players on the circuit. The match was competitive, with Wade producing a superb 141 checkout, but Humphries found another level when the pressure increased.
He eventually closed out a 5-3 victory, reaching his fourth straight World Grand Prix final in the process. Afterward, Humphries was brutally honest about what that achievement means to him.
“I’m really, really proud of myself for performing like that. I’m proud of the way I’ve bounced back from a couple of bad performances in this tournament, but that was the real me there.”
Then came the key message.
“Unless I pick up that trophy, unfortunately that history doesn’t mean anything. I’ve come here to win the trophy.”
That mentality could be crucial tonight. Humphries has already experienced the frustration of falling short in Leicester. He lost the 2024 final to Mike De Decker and the 2025 final to Luke Littler, meaning this is his third opportunity to win the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2023.
Price Has Plenty to Prove Too
Price arrives with a different kind of motivation.
The Welshman is the 2020 World Grand Prix champion, but his last major televised title came four years ago at the 2022 World Series of Darts Finals. He has reached major finals since then, including this year’s World Matchplay and World Series Finals, but another trophy has remained frustratingly out of reach.
His semi-final against Aspinall was also far from straightforward.
Price raced into a 3-0 lead and appeared to be cruising before Aspinall fought back. The Englishman produced a brilliant 132 checkout and dragged himself back into contention, but Price steadied himself and eventually secured a 5-2 victory.
Price was not particularly happy with the atmosphere or Aspinall’s reaction to it. After the match, he admitted the situation had affected him as well.
“I was a upset with him a little bit. I said, ‘they’re on your side bud, I’m up against it’.”
Price also insisted that he needed to focus on his own game rather than getting distracted by what was happening around him.
That could be an important lesson heading into a final against Humphries. You cannot afford to lose concentration in the double-start format, where every leg begins by requiring a double or bullseye before a player can even start scoring.
A Rematch With Plenty of History
There is an obvious storyline here because Humphries and Price have already contested this exact final.
In 2023, Price won the opening set before Humphries dramatically turned the match around. The Englishman eventually won 5-2, securing his first World Grand Prix title and producing a memorable 138 checkout to finish the job.
Three years later, Price gets another opportunity to change that story.
Their rivalry has also been extremely competitive away from Leicester. Recent meetings have gone both ways, although Humphries won their latest encounter 7-4 at the Czech Darts Open in September. Their overall meetings have remained remarkably close, making it difficult to separate them purely on head-to-head history.
That makes tonight particularly difficult to predict.
Humphries has the recent psychological advantage from their latest meeting, while Price has the experience of winning this competition before. Neither player can realistically expect the other to be intimidated by the occasion.
The £150,000 Question
The financial reward adds another layer to an already massive final.
The winner will collect £150,000, while the runner-up receives £80,000 from a total World Grand Prix prize fund of £750,000.
But realistically, neither player will be thinking about the difference between first and second once they walk onto the stage.
Humphries is chasing a second World Grand Prix title and a record that would stand alone. Price is attempting to add another major trophy to a career that has already included a World Championship and the 2020 World Grand Prix crown.
The double-start format could make the final especially unpredictable. Even elite players can struggle to find their rhythm when they have to hit a double before every leg properly begins, and one poor spell on the outer ring can completely change the momentum.
Who Has the Edge?
On paper, Humphries may have the stronger case.
He is ranked second in the world, has won their latest meeting and has looked increasingly comfortable as this tournament has progressed. His 5-3 victory over Wade also showed that he can survive a difficult match without panicking when an opponent applies pressure.
But Price is exactly the kind of opponent who can make those advantages meaningless.
When his scoring and finishing click together, the Welshman can overwhelm anyone. His run to the final has already included a 3-0 win over Ross Smith, a dramatic 3-2 comeback against Jonny Clayton and the 5-2 victory over Aspinall.
So this feels less like a final with a clear favourite and more like a battle between two players desperate to prove something.
The stage is set for another Humphries-Price classic.
Humphries wants to turn an incredible four-final streak into another trophy. Price wants revenge for 2023 and another major title after years of waiting.
One thing is certain: by the end of tonight, one of these former champions will have another World Grand Prix trophy, while the other will be left wondering what might have been.
And after everything that has happened in Leicester this week, it would be hard to ask for a better final.