England's top-ranked darts duo suffered a surprising early exit at the 2025 World Cup of Darts, falling to Germany's Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko in their opening match. The pairing of world champion and world No 1 had entered the tournament as clear favourites.
Their defeat has prompted both players to take time away from competition. Neither Luke Littler nor Luke Humphries have registered for this week's Players Championship events in Leicester.
The unexpected loss appears to have taken its toll on the English pair, who struggled to find their rhythm against an inspired German team. Their absence from the upcoming triple header suggests they need time to regroup following the disappointing World Cup campaign.
Three of darts' biggest names have withdrawn from this week's Players Championship triple header in Leicester, leaving a significant gap in the field for the tournaments running from Tuesday to Thursday.
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries suffered a shock loss at the World Cup of Darts
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Littler and Humphries are both absent as they recover from their shock World Cup defeat, whilst Michael van Gerwen continues his extended break from competition amid ongoing divorce proceedings.
The world No 3 hasn't played since May 22 during the Premier League finals. His separation from wife Daphne Govers was announced two days later, with Van Gerwen stepping away from tournaments until the divorce is finalised.
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The trio's withdrawal represents a major blow to the three-day event at Leicester. Several other notable players have also pulled out of the Leicester events. Rob Cross, Michele Turetta, Jules van Dongen and Tim Wolters will all miss the triple header.
Their withdrawals have created opportunities for Challenge Tour competitors to step up. Darius Labanauskas, Stefan Bellmont, Ted Evetts, Mervyn King, Jack Tweddell, Carl Sneyd and Danny van Trijp will take the vacant spots, gaining valuable Pro Tour experience.
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Michael van Gerwen will also not be participating in upcoming tournaments
PADimitri van den Bergh has confirmed his participation, marking his continued return to competitive darts after taking a break in April. The Belgian recently competed at the World Cup of Darts last weekend.
Despite the high-profile absences, the Leicester tournaments will still feature an impressive field of established stars. Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall, Stephen Bunting, Dave Chisnall, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, James Wade and Peter Wright are all set to compete.
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Fresh from their World Cup triumph, Northern Ireland's Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney will also participate in the three events.
Each of the three Players Championship tournaments offers a total prize fund of £125,000. The winner of each event will claim the top prize of £15,000.
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have both decided to take time off
PAThe triple header represents a crucial opportunity for players to accumulate ranking points and prize money ahead of the summer's major tournaments.
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