Luke Littler’s Rivals Have Been Given a Simple Warning About How to Beat Him
Luke Littler may have just suffered one of the most surprising defeats of his remarkable career, but Vincent van der Voort believes his rivals should not get too comfortable. In fact, the outspoken Dutchman has offered a blunt assessment of what opponents need to do if they genuinely want to stop the world No.1.
The message is simple: stop treating Littler like a superstar and start treating him like the opponent standing in your way.
Van der Voort believes too many players have shown the 19-year-old too much respect, particularly when matches go deep into longer formats. His argument comes at an interesting moment because Littler has suddenly looked more vulnerable than usual after an extraordinary run of success.
The “fanboy” problem
Van der Voort’s criticism is not entirely new. He has previously accused players of behaving more like admirers than opponents when they face Littler, pointing to things such as fist bumps and smiles during matches.
This time, though, his assessment was even more direct.
“If it’s above 20 legs, then he’s lost one match in his life.
“That was against Luke Humphries in his first (World) final.
“So, the other players all have a massive thing to figure out. How to beat him on the long format.”
That statistic helps explain why Van der Voort believes the answer cannot simply be about throwing well for a few legs.
Littler has developed an extraordinary ability to settle into long matches. Even when his opponent starts strongly, the pressure can gradually shift because Littler rarely seems bothered by the length of the contest.
And once he gets into rhythm, stopping him becomes a completely different challenge.
Van der Voort’s solution is therefore as much psychological as technical.
“Because when he comes to a tournament that is really interesting to him, he wins.”
The biggest part of the gameplan
The most interesting part of Van der Voort’s argument is that he does not appear to believe there is some secret checkout or tactical trick that suddenly makes Littler beatable.
Instead, he wants opponents to attack him without hesitation.
“So they have to figure out a way to beat him. And that starts by not being a fanboy.
“Just go after him. Just give him everything you have. And if he’s better than you, then you’ve got nothing to blame yourself for.”
That sounds obvious, but elite sport is often decided by tiny psychological differences.
When someone has won as much as Littler has at such a young age, opponents can enter a match already thinking about what he might do rather than concentrating entirely on what they need to do themselves.
Van der Voort believes that has happened too often.
Littler’s recent stumble changes the conversation
There is another reason these comments are particularly interesting now.
Littler has dominated the major televised events during 2026, winning the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open, Premier League and World Matchplay. He also helped England win the World Cup of Darts alongside Luke Humphries.
But the last few weeks have provided something opponents have rarely seen from him: a run of disappointing results.
He was beaten by Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals before suffering a shock first-round defeat to Luke Woodhouse at the World Grand Prix. Woodhouse won 2-1 despite Littler taking the opening set, with the match ultimately decided in the final set.
Then came another surprise at the World Youth Championship.
Littler entered the event with a chance to become the first player to hold both the senior World Championship and World Youth Championship titles simultaneously. Instead, Cam Crabtree edged him 6-5 in the semi-final.
That does not suddenly make Littler vulnerable in every tournament.
If anything, it could make the rest of the field nervous.
Why rivals should still be worried
There is a danger in looking at a few defeats and deciding that Littler’s dominance is ending.
His overall record and trophy haul tell a very different story. He remains the world No.1 and has already built a 2026 season that most players would consider extraordinary.
The recent defeats do, however, offer rivals something valuable: proof that Littler can be beaten.
Woodhouse showed it in a short World Grand Prix contest. Crabtree did it in a deciding-leg battle. Those victories may give other players more belief when they eventually face Littler themselves.
But belief is only useful if it translates into performance.
That is precisely where Van der Voort’s “fanboy” criticism comes in.
There is no point walking onto the stage believing Littler is unbeatable and then celebrating every good moment simply because you are playing against one of the biggest names in darts.
If an opponent averages brilliantly, hits important doubles and beats Littler, that is the job.
Do it again
Van der Voort also made a broader criticism of the current generation, arguing that the very top level is not as strong as during the eras of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson.
He said: “The top was better than it is right now. Only the group after that is better now.”
He also questioned whether the huge increase in tournaments and financial rewards has changed the mentality of players.
That is certainly debatable, but his central point about Littler is difficult to ignore.
The best way to beat a champion is not to admire him.
Littler has already shown that he can lose, but his opponents need to believe they can beat him before they step onto the oche. Then they need to execute that belief when the pressure arrives.
And perhaps that is the real challenge facing the rest of the darts world.
Littler has already proved he can dominate. Now his rivals have been handed a blueprint: make him fight for every leg, refuse to be intimidated, and give him absolutely everything.
If he is still better after that, so be it.
But as Van der Voort put it, there should be no excuses.
The question now is whether the rest of the field finally takes that advice.