Luke Littler, the teen darts sensation, claimed his first World Series title of the year by winning the Australian Darts Masters. He defeated Mike De Decker 8-4 in the final held in Wollongong, earning £20,000 in prize money. Following his victory, his Belgian rival humorously remarked on stage that Littler “needs to retire because it’s not fun anymore,” a suggestion Littler quickly dismissed with a smile, stating, “Nope, not yet!”

Littler displayed an exceptional performance in the final, hitting six 180s within the opening six legs and establishing a 4-2 lead with a remarkable 143 finish. He further extended his lead to 7-4 with a bull checkout before sealing the win on double 16. During the tournament, Littler also debuted a cheeky new headshake and swagger, explaining it was a response to Australian fans who, from his first game, would shout “rubbish, rubbish” or call him “washed” whenever he missed a treble. Littler noted, “The darts did the talking” in response to these taunts.

Reflecting on his win, Littler expressed his satisfaction, acknowledging that while his performance the previous night wasn’t his best, the final was “what really mattered.” He spoke of his motivation, stating, “Any losing final motivates me. You always want to come back and do one better.” This victory, coupled with his earlier win at the Matchplay, allowed him to regain his “winning feeling,” which he had been seeking for five months as a reigning world champion.

Runner-up Mike De Decker received £10,000 for his efforts. On his path to the final, De Decker impressively defeated an unwell Luke Humphries 6-0 in the quarter-finals. De Decker shared his relief and confidence boost from reaching the final, stating, “People said I didn’t deserve it so I'm really happy I got a trophy now. I’m just happy to get to the final. I’m glad I showed I’m still able to play my A game.”

Beyond his professional success, Luke Littler also opened up about his personal life, specifically his relationship with girlfriend Faith Millar. The darts star has been dating the beautician since March, with their relationship becoming public in July when they shared a kiss before his World Matchplay Darts quarter-final. Littler described Faith as “sort of what I needed” in his often chaotic life, noting her willingness to join him in Australia when his parents couldn't.

Their relationship has, however, attracted “vile trolls” and online “negativity.” Littler, who has grown accustomed to blocking out such comments, advises Faith to ignore them. He explained his perspective to her, saying, “They’re jealous. They wanna ruin us. But I just said, 'Just don’t look at it and just focus on what we’ve got.'”

Faith Millar's presence in Wollongong seemed to be a good luck charm for Littler’s Australian Darts Masters triumph. Littler acknowledged that the World Series circuit “hadn’t gone to plan” earlier in the year, making this trophy particularly significant. With this win under his belt, Littler is now eagerly looking forward to the New Zealand Darts Masters, which is scheduled to commence on Friday.