Luke Humphries has conceded he is not attempting to hunt down Luke Littler in the battle for the world’s top ranking, with a massive £1,754,500 separating the pair in the Order of Merit.
The world No 2 lost his position at the summit to the teenage phenomenon on 16 November following his Grand Slam final defeat, and Littler has since claimed five consecutive major titles.
Humphries used a striking comparison to illustrate the scale of the challenge ahead.
“I’m not chasing Luke, to be honest. If we were in a marathon and if I was chasing him, he would be on the 14th mile and I would be at the start,” he said.
“So, I ain’t catching him. So, I am not chasing anybody, nor am I trying to let Gian [van Veen] chase me,” Humphries added.
The Cheshire thrower remains confident in his abilities despite the rankings gap.
“I know I am still one of the top two players in the world, regardless of results and whatever happens. If I was No 3 in the world right now, I would still believe I am No 2 playing-wise,” he said.
Luke Humphries has conceded he is not attempting to hunt down Luke Littler in the battle for the world’s top ranking, with a massive £1,754,500 separating the pair in the Order of Merit
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Humphries has urged darts authorities to reconsider how the Order of Merit operates, arguing the current system fails to properly recognise sustained excellence across the calendar.
“The rankings don’t always tell the story,” he explained, suggesting players can vault ahead of more consistent performers through a single successful tournament run at Alexandra Palace.
The world No 2 believes a realistic timeframe for closing the deficit stands at approximately 18 months, acknowledging the enormity of the task facing him.
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“If you are not world No.1 there is nothing to chase. I need a good 18 months to catch that back, to be fair,” Humphries stated.
His concerns centre particularly on the World Championship, where the winner’s cheque has risen to £1million, creating what he views as a disproportionate weighting in the rankings.
“The Worlds is very heavily headed now. If some random person goes on to win the Worlds next year, I won’t be number two anyway. It might not be deserving,” he warned.
Humphries suggested the PDC should examine its ranking methodology to better reward those who perform consistently throughout the season.
“So maybe the rankings will be checked and looked at one day to reward the player that is playing the most consistent,” he said.
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are the two best players on the planet
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The 29-year-old will return to competitive action on Thursday evening when he takes on Jonny Clayton in the Premier League.
Despite his frustrations with the rankings structure, Humphries has made an impressive start to 2026, securing victory at Players Championship 4 and reaching the final of the World Masters, where he finished as runner-up.
Littler, meanwhile, continues his march towards becoming darts’ first £3million earner.
The youngster sits second in the table, having initially struggled at the start of the campaign.
