Luke Littler has done it again, securing his first Winmau World Masters crown with a thrilling 6-5 triumph over defending champion Luke Humphries at Arena MK in Milton Keynes.
The 19-year-old back-to-back world champion pocketed the £100,000 top prize in what proved to be another rollercoaster encounter between the sport's two dominant forces.
It's a remarkable achievement that extends Littler's incredible unbeaten streak in major tournaments to 25 consecutive victories.
The world number one hasn't tasted defeat at a major since James Wade knocked him out of the European Championship second round back on 25 October 2025.
Luke Littler won his maiden World Masters title after an incredible clash with Luke Humphries
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Humphries was full of praise for his rival after the final, delivering a stunning verdict on Littler's place in darting history.
"I think he's the greatest darts player who has ever lived," the 30-year-old told ITV4.
The world number two reflected on the match with admiration rather than frustration, acknowledging Littler's mental strength when it matters most.
"He has shown that through class. He never folds under pressure," Humphries said.
Despite his disappointment at falling short, Humphries remained confident in his own abilities, insisting he had demonstrated why he remains the second-best player on the planet.
Luke Humphries insisted Luke Littler is the greatest player "who ever lived" in almighty praise
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Littler himself was utterly spent after crossing the finish line, admitting the victory had taken everything out of him.
"I'm shattered, absolutely knackered," he told ITV4 after sealing the win with double 10.
The teenager revealed he was running on empty heading into the crucial final stages of the match.
"Going into the last break at 5-4, I said I have nothing left, absolutely nothing, but I just managed to dig deep," Littler explained.
"I was fully focussed and managed to get the job done."
He described the week as "weird" and "tough at times" but celebrated battling through to emerge victorious in the first major of 2026.
Luke Littler is targeting further glory after an incredible 2026 already
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Littler's path to glory was far from straightforward, with the teenager riding his luck on multiple occasions throughout the tournament.
Belgian thrower Mike De Decker had a match dart in the opening round on Friday but couldn't capitalise, while Gerwyn Price squandered his own chance at double 20 during a nail-biting semi-final on Sunday afternoon.
In the final itself, Littler produced stunning checkouts of 153 and 121 twice, averaging 104.72 with 13 maximums.
The victory leaves him tantalisingly close to completing a clean sweep of every PDC ranked title, with only the European Championship now missing from his extraordinary collection.