The 29th staging of the Boylesports World Grand Prix gets under way in Leicester on Monday night so here's Chris Hammer's match-by-match preview and best bets.
World Grand Prix: Monday September 28
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1800 GMT)
- First-Round Format: Best of 3 sets. All sets are the best of five legs. There will be no tie-break in any set. All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
SL Acca: 0.5pts Menzies, Doets & Joyce all to win at 14/1 with Sky Bet
Danny Noppert v Niko Springer
I always feel the first-round matches at the World Grand Prix tend to be much more 50-50 than the odds suggest due to the ruthless format.
Although Danny Noppert is the superior player on paper and seasonal stats, he hasn't enjoyed a stellar year in the majors like he did during 2025 and he's fallen at the first hurdle at bith the World Matchplay and World Series of Darts Finals.
Niko Springer suffered a first-round exit here 12 months ago - just like many debutants do - but with the experience under his belt, I feel he's more than capable of causing a very minor shock.
That said, I'm least sure about this than three other potential upsets which is why it doesn't make the acca.
Scoreline prediction: 1-2
ALSO READ: WORLD GRAND PRIX PRE-TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
Ross Smith v Cameron Menzies
Ross Smith is a on a real high right now having recently lifted the second major title of his career at the World Series of Darts Finals, so he'll have no shortage of backers to go far in Leicester.
Smudger is obviously well known for his heavy scoring but he's not got the best of records in this double-start event having never gone beyond round two in five previous attempts whereas Cameron Menzies managed a quarter-final run 12 months ago when he also gave Luke Humphries a bit of a scare before bowing out 3-1.
Menzies also arrives in Leicester off the back of a morale-boosting Players Championship title last week so I'm expecting a close encounter that goes to the wire.
Scoreline prediction: 1-2
Nathan Aspinall v Kevin Doets
SELECTION: 2pts Over 5.5 180s in the match at 11/10 (General)
Nathan Aspinall's crowd-pleasing career has always been hard to predict, as he seems to have as many early exits as fantastic runs to numerous major finals!
The World Grand Prix in 2022 was one of those but that was also sandwiched between four first-round defeats.
Undoubtedly one of everyone's favourite players to watch, we are almost always guaranteed entertainment and I expect a thrilling encounter with Kevin Doets.
The rising Dutch star is enjoying a cracking season having finally picked up his maiden senior PDC ranking title at Players Championship 13 back in May while he's also reached a first European Tour final, narrowly losing to Josh Rock.
Both players have prolific 180 per leg stats and if we get three sets then I expect at least six maximums.
Scoreline prediction: 1-2
Jonny Clayton v Krzysztof Ratajski
Jonny Clayton is one of the most reliable double-start players around having lifted this trophy back in 2021 and reaching the latter stages in the last two years with runs to the quarters and semis.
Krzysztof Ratajski, who has won a European Tour title this season, will provide tough opposition, however, having managed to win each of his last four first-round matches in this event.
It could well turn into a bit of a scrap and I can't confidently predict a winner.
Scoreline prediction: 2-1
Gerwyn Price v Sebastian Bialecki
The World Grand Prix must be one of Gerwyn Price's favourite events and since 2018 he's reached the quarter-finals or better six times out of eight, including three runs to the final.
The 2020 champion hasn't been knocked out in the opening round since 2019 and he's got one of the better draws he'd secretly have hoped for in Sebastian Bialecki, who is making his debut.
Bialecki further underlined his potential in 2026 with six Development Tour titles and a winning streak of 38 matches, while he also won Players Championship 26 back in July.
But we know how much debutants struggle in this format and Price should sweep the inexperienced Bialecki aside.
Scoreline prediction: 2-0
Michael van Gerwen v Ryan Joyce
SELECTION: 1pt Ryan Joyce to beat MVG at 6/4 (General)
Michael van Gerwen may well be a six-time winner of the World Grand Prix but he's struggled in this format over the past three seasons, winning just one match and suffering back-to-back first-round exits.
Not only that, but he hasn't actually even won a set in his previous two outings and he won't be coming here with too much confidence after early exits in all the majors this season.
Ryan Joyce isn't exactly the most dangerous opposition on paper and his stats this year aren't the hottest, but he's a phenomenal converter of double 16 and he used that ability to help him reach the semi-finals here two years ago.
This could certainly be a worrying night for MVG.
Scoreline prediction: 0-2
Luke Littler v Luke Woodhouse
SELECTION: 3pts Luke Littler to win and hit most 180s at 11/8 (Sky Bet)
Luke Littler is probably still feeling a bit miffed with the Dutch crowd after his hopes of completing an unprecedented clean sweep of majors in a calendar year came to an end at the World Series of Darts Finals.
As far as the World Grand Prix is concerned, I feel a wounded Littler with a point to prove is even more dangerous for his rivals than usual and Luke Woodhouse is massively in the firing line.
You'd like to think he'll also have a far more respectful crowd behind him as well compared to what he was subjected to in Amsterdam and I'm expecting a barrage of 180s in a resounding victory.
Scoreline prediction: 2-0
Wessel Nijman v Rob Cross
Wessel Nijman is one of my tips to come through his section of the draw so obviously I'm backing him to reverse the first-round defeat he suffered at the hands of Rob Cross 12 months ago.
The Dutch star was a debutant on that occasion but he's grown into a much stronger player since having bagged eight titles in 2026 so he'll be relishing another opportunity to show what he can do on the major stages.
It didn't go quite according to plan for him at the recent World Series but he bounced back with a string of 100 averages on the Pro Tour this past week and I expect him to cause some damage.
As for Voltage, this is one of his least favourite events with five first-round exits in nine appearances and he's also well short of Nijman's stats this year.
Scoreline prediction: 2-0
2026 World Grand Prix Schedule
Monday September 28 (1800 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of 3 sets)
- Danny Noppert v Niko Springer
- Ross Smith v Cameron Menzies
- Nathan Aspinall v Kevin Doets
- Jonny Clayton v Krzysztof Ratajski
- Gerwyn Price v Sebastian Bialecki
- Michael van Gerwen v Ryan Joyce
- Luke Littler v Luke Woodhouse
- Wessel Nijman v Rob Cross
Tuesday September 29 (1800 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of 3 sets)
- Chris Dobey v Jermaine Wattimena
- Ryan Searle v William O’Connor
- Josh Rock v Niels Zonneveld
- James Wade v Joe Cullen
- Gary Anderson v Damon Heta
- Gian van Veen v Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Luke Humphries v Dave Chisnall
- Stephen Bunting v Andrew Gilding
Wednesday September 30 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Second Round matches (Best of 5 sets)
- Littler/Woodhouse v Aspinall/Doets
- Noppert/Springer v Van Gerwen/Joyce
- Price/Bialecki v Smith/Menzies
- Clayton/Ratajski v Nijman/Cross
Thursday October 1 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Second Round matches (Best of 5 sets)
- Humphries/Chisnall v Dobey/Wattimena
- Rock/Zonneveld v Anderson/Heta
- Van Veen/Van Duijvenbode v Searle/O'Connor
- Wade/Cullen v Bunting/Gilding
Friday October 2 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of seven sets)
- Four matches
Saturday October 3 (2030 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Semi-Finals (Best of seven sets)
- Two matches
Sunday October 4 (2000 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Final (Best of nine sets)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
What TV channel is the World Grand Prix on?
The World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
World Grand Prix Prize Money
- Winner - £150,000
- Runner-up - £80,000
- Semi-finalists - £50,000
- Quarter-finalists - £35,000
- Second round - £20,000
- First round - £7,500
Tournament Format
- All Sets are the best of five legs. There will be no tie-break in any set.
- All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
- First Round - Best of three sets
- Second Round - Best of five sets
- Quarter-Finals - Best of five sets
- Semi-Finals - Best of seven sets
- Final - Best of nine sets
World Grand Prix History
- Final scores in sets
- 1998 - Phil Taylor 13-8 Rod Harrington
- 1999 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
- 2000 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
- 2001 - Alan Warriner 8-2 Roland Scholten
- 2002 - Phil Taylor 7-3 John Part
- 2003 - Phil Taylor 7-2 John Part
- 2004 - Colin Lloyd 7-3 Alan Warriner
- 2005 - Phil Taylor 7-1 Colin Lloyd
- 2006 - Phil Taylor 7-4 Terry Jenkins
- 2007 - James Wade 6-3 Terry Jenkins
- 2008 - Phil Taylor 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
- 2009 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
- 2010 - James Wade 6-3 Adrian Lewis
- 2011 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Brendan Dolan
- 2012 - Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Mervyn King
- 2013 - Phil Taylor 6-0 Dave Chisnall
- 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 5-3 James Wade
- 2015 - Robert Thornton 5-4 Michael van Gerwen
- 2016 - Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Gary Anderson
- 2017 - Daryl Gurney 5-4 Simon Whitlock
- 2018 - Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Peter Wright
- 2019 - Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dave Chisnall
- 2020 - Gerwyn Price 5-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- 2021 - Jonny Clayton 5-1 Gerwyn Price
- 2022 - Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Nathan Aspinall
- 2023 - Luke Humphries 5-2 Gerwyn Price
- 2024 - Mike de Decker 6-4 Luke Humphries
- 2025 - Luke Littler 6-1 Luke Humphries
World Grand Prix Most Titles
- Phil Taylor - 11
- Michael van Gerwen - 6
- James Wade - 2
- Luke Littler - 1
- Mike de Decker - 1
- Luke Humphries - 1
- Jonny Clayton - 1
- Gerwyn Price - 1
- Daryl Gurney - 1
- Colin Lloyd - 1
- Alan Warriner - 1
- Robert Thornton - 1
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