The Nuke goes down
Real talk: the World Grand Prix just got a whole lot more chaotic. Defending champ Luke Littler—aka "The Nuke"—is officially out of the tournament after a surprise 2-1 loss to Luke Woodhouse in the opening round. It’s a total L for the world No 1, who was looking to redeem himself after a drama-filled week in Amsterdam.
The match breakdown
Littler actually started strong. Even though he wasn't playing his best, he grabbed the first set 3-1, including a smooth 106 checkout. But the vibes shifted quickly. Woodhouse, the world No 18 from Worcestershire, kept his cool while the crowd in Leicester watched him climb back into the game. After splitting the first two sets, Woodhouse went up 2-0 in the decider. Despite a late push from Littler, Woodhouse closed it out on double 12 to secure the dub. Both players finished with nearly identical averages—82.41 for Littler and 82.51 for Woodhouse.
A rough night for legends
It was not the night for the big names. Littler wasn’t the only world champ to get sent home; Rob Cross took a 2-0 loss to Wessel Nijman, and Michael van Gerwen’s dream of a seventh title vanished after a 2-1 defeat to Ryan Joyce. On the bright side for the OGs, Gerwyn Price absoluteley ate, crushing Sebastian Bialecki with a 101.61 average and three 180s.
Why it matters
This early exit ends Littler’s title defense immediately and highlights just how unpredictable the double-in, double-out format is. With top seeds falling left and right, the rest of the tournament is wide open—and it’s giving major upset energy.
