Littler Retains UK Open Title, Beats Wade 11-7

Luke Littler retained his UK Open darts title on Sunday night in Minehead, England, defeating James Wade 11-7 in the final to claim the 120,000 first prize for the second consecutive year. The 19-year-old world number one, who began 2026 by winning his second world championship, overcame a gritty performance from the 42-year-old Wade to become only the fourth player in the tournament's history to secure back-to-back victories, following Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, and Michael van Gerwen, the last to do so in 2015 and 2016.

The final replicated last year's matchup, with Littler and Wade emerging as the last two players from a field of 160 in the event often called the FA Cup of darts due to its open format. Littler started strongly, winning the first three legs to lead 3-0, but Wade leveled the score at 3-3 with composed play either side of the opening interval. The teenager then pulled ahead to 6-3 through superior scoring on trebles, though his finishing proved inconsistent. Wade fought back to tie at 6-6 and 7-7, despite averaging about 10 points below his opponent. The turning point came in the 15th leg, when Wade missed a bullseye for victory, allowing Littler to...