What was the best major performance of all time?

Where does Luke Littler's World Matchplay triumph rank alongside the greatest ever major tournament performances of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen?

Darts

Tue July 28, 2026 · 2d ago

Luke Littler's World Matchplay defence was statistically the greatest ever seen in Blackpool but in this week's column, Paul Nicholson assesses whether it also be ranked as the best major performance of all time?

If you'd ever told me I was going to witness a major tournament performance mightier than Phil Taylor's legendary 2009 European Championship, I'd have laughed.

I never believed it was possible. Even since Luke Littler burst onto the scene because the Power's relentless consistency that weekend was from another planet.

Statistically, Taylor's average of 111.54 across his five matches still edges Luke Littler's 111.05 at the Winter Gardens but darts isn't played on a spreadsheet. When you factor in the length of the matches, the quality of the opposition, the relentless consistency and the sheer volume of brilliance across an entire week, Littler's 2026 World Matchplay campaign has become the greatest tournament performance I've ever seen.

Why was Taylor's 2009 Euros so special?

I wrote a column about this tournament several years ago for Sporting Life where I said "I really can’t see anyone eclipsing this record – in either a European Championship or another comparable weekend major."

By 'comparable weekend major' I was talking about events where the majority of matches are contested around the best-of-19 format. I wasn't even contemplating it being possible in a longer format tournament that lasts a week or more such as the Grand Slam of Darts, World Matchplay or World Championship.

The 2009 European Championship came in a period when Taylor walked around venues with an aura of invincibility - just like Littler does now. I was there and nobody realistically was touching him on a regular basis. Any time he got beaten in this era, it was a story in itself.

He was picking and choosing his events, focused predominantly on the majors and was constantly fresh. He had it all cracked. He knew what he needed to do at his age and skill level to beat everyone in front of him. It was almost demoralising for everyone else. What do we have to do to beat him?

Does this sound familiar?!

He fell 2-0 down against Toon Greebe in the opening match before averaging 111.03 in a 6-2 win before battering Robert Thornton 9-0 with an average of 110.88.

When Anderson turned up in the quarters, you could tell he fancied his chances and produced a brilliant 106 average – but even that was nowhere near good enough! Taylor’s 118.14 was a world record average at the time although he did break that the following year at the UK Open with 118.66 against Kevin Painter.

Taylor averaged 109.36 in an 11-3 victory over Jelle Klaasen and then 109.35 when thrashing Steve Beaton by the same scoreline later that same evening for the title.

Jelle Klaasen averaged 98 in the semi-finals, which on those dartboards at the time was an excellent standard, but it simply wasn't enough.

Statistically – for a major tournament - it remains top of the pile with an average of 111.54.

He won 47 legs, lost 11, averaged 111.54 and threw 37 maximums.

But, subjectively - and I can't believe I'm about to write it - Littler's World Matchplay is number one.

Why Littler's World Matchplay is the greatest of all time

Coming into the World Matchplay we wondered whether anybody could expose Luke Littler over the longer format. He'd had slow starts in previous years and perhaps that would give somebody an opening.

Instead, he never looked like being in serious trouble even when Niko Springer nudged ahead early on or when Nathan Aspinall stayed on his coat tails with a superb performance himself.

What impressed me most wasn't one spectacular average or one magical session. It was the relentless consistency.

After his semi-final against Dirk van Duijvenbode, Littler averaged 110.88 for the match. At that point his average for the tournament was also 110.88! I've genuinely never seen anything like it.

Nobody has ever maintained that level over so many matches and so many legs, and he obviously maintained it across the final which lasted another 27 legs.

That's the key difference between Taylor's campaign and Littler's.

Taylor's tournament average is fractionally higher but Littler sustained an extraordinary level for almost twice as many legs.

That matters.

One of the biggest reasons people have been calling this the greatest tournament ever is because of the distance he had to maintain it over.

It wasn't a sprint. It was an endurance test, and he barely dipped.

The numbers only tell part of the story. You also have to remember the moments.

The nine-darter. The astonishing 167 finish against Gerwyn Price just as Price was trying to establish himself in the match.

Wayne Mardle joked on commentary that Littler hadn't hit a bull finish all tournament. Seconds later, he produced one. It almost became comical.

His scoring was ridiculous. His record number of 180s worked out at almost 0.7 maximums per leg. To put that into context, most elite players would be deemed prolific with around 0.3 over a sustained period.

I've also never seen anyone use those combinations on the biggest stage with such confidence. He's not just playing better than everyone else.

He's making the rest of the sport think differently.

Where does Van Gerwen fit?

Michael van Gerwen's 2017 World Championship absolutely deserves to be part of this conversation.

Winning a World Championship over that format is an enormous achievement and his tournament average of 106.37 remains phenomenal.

He played 158 legs, won 100 of them and defeated a succession of outstanding opponents. His 114 average against Raymond van Barneveld remains one of the finest matches we've ever seen.

But when I compare it to Littler's Matchplay, one thing stands out.

Van Gerwen's campaign contained those incredible peaks. Littler barely had any valleys.

Every time you looked up he was producing another average around the 110 mark.

The range between his best and worst performances across the week was astonishingly small. That's consistency on a level I've never witnessed before.

A new benchmark

Phil Taylor's 2009 European Championship will always deserve its place in history. The statistics ensure that.

It remains one of the defining achievements the sport has ever seen and I don't think anybody should forget that.

But after sitting with Chris Mason on Sunday night reflecting on what we'd just watched, I kept asking myself the same question.

"Did that really happen?"

Because it felt impossible. Yet we'd all seen it.

Luke Littler has forced me to rethink something I'd been certain about for almost two decades.

Taylor's performance may still edge him on tournament average but if someone asked me which campaign I'd rank as the greatest ever, I'm picking Luke Littler's World Matchplay.

I genuinely never thought I'd live to say that.

Luke Littler's historic route to World Matchplay glory

R1: 10-6 v Springer
Average: 109.53
180s: 7
Checkout %: 43.48%
R2: 11-8 v Aspinall
Average: 113.68
180s: 14
100+ Checkouts: 3 (126, 121, 108)
Checkout %: 44%
QF: 16-7 v Rock
Average: 109.57
180s: 17
100+ Checkouts: 1 (100)
Checkout %: 53.33%
SF: 17-5 v Van Duijvenbode
Average: 110.88
180s: 16
Checkout %: 50%
F: 18-9 v Price
Average: 111.53
180s: 12
Checkout %: 60%

Littler's major tournament winning averages

2024 Premier League: 99.53
2024 World Series Finals: 103.79
2024 Grand Slam of Darts: 105.15
2025 World Championship: 102.27
2025 UK Open: 104.35
2025 World Matchplay: 105.12
2025 World Grand Prix: 92.62
2025 Grand Slam of Darts: 102.54
2025 Players Championship Finals: 105.58
2026 World Championship: 103.98
2026 World Masters: 103.58
2026 Premier League: 100.47
2026 UK Open: 99.18
2026 World Matchplay: 111.04

Luke Littler: Complete PDC Roll of honour

World Championship: 2025 & 2026
World Matchplay: 2025 & 2026
Premier League: 2024 & 2026
Grand Slam: 2024 & 2025
World Grand Prix: 2025
UK Open: 2025 & 2026
World Masters: 2026
Players Championship Finals: 2025
World Series Finals: 2024
World Cup of Darts: 2026 (with Luke Humphries)
European Tour titles x5
World Series tour titles x5
Pro Tour titles x4
World Youth Championship: 2023
Nine-darters: 9
Televised nine-darters: 6

World Matchplay Darts: Draw Bracket and Results

ROUND ONE

(1) Luke Littler 10-6 Niko Springer
(16) Nathan Aspinall 10-5 Joe Cullen
(8) Josh Rock 10-4 Luke Woodhouse
(9) Stephen Bunting 13-12 Niels Zonneveld
(4) Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Andrew Gilding
(13) Chris Dobey 11-13 Dirk van Duijvenbode
(5) Jonny Clayton 10-7 Damon Heta
(12) Gary Anderson 10-2 Ryan Joyce
(2) Luke Humphries 7-10 Cameron Menzies
(15) Ross Smith 10-6 Kevin Doets
(7) Gerwyn Price 11-9 Martin Schindler
(10) Danny Noppert 3-10 Rob Cross
(3) Gian van Veen 10-6 Krzysztof Ratajski
(14) Wessel Nijman 10-5 Dave Chisnall
(6) James Wade 10-7 Jermaine Wattimena
(11) Ryan Searle 10-6 William O’Connor

ROUND TWO

(1) Luke Littler 11-8 Nathan Aspinall (16)
(8) Josh Rock 11-6 Stephen Bunting (9)
(4) Michael van Gerwen 12-14 Dirk van Duijvenbode
(5) Jonny Clayton 7-11 Gary Anderson (12)
Cameron Menzies v W/O Ross Smith (15) (Cameron Menzies withdrew due to illness)
(7) Gerwyn Price 11-5 Rob Cross
(3) Gian van Veen 14-12 Wessel Nijman (14)
(6) James Wade 11-8 Ryan Searle (11)

QUARTER-FINALS

(1) Luke Littler 16-7 Josh Rock (8)
Dirk van Duijvenbode 16-13 Gary Anderson (12)
(15) Ross Smith 12-16 Gerwyn Price (7)
(3) Gian van Veen 16-12 James Wade (6)

SEMI-FINALS

(1) Luke Littler 17-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
(7) Gerwyn Price 17-10 Gian van Veen (3)

FINAL

(1) Luke Littler 18-9 Gerwyn Price (7)