Reigning champion Luke Littler will begin his World Grand Prix title defence against Luke Woodhouse, after the schedule for the opening two nights of the 2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix was confirmed. The unique double-start tournament returns to the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from September 28 to October 4, with 32 players battling it out for a record £150,000 winner’s prize.
The action gets underway at 1800 BST on Monday September 28, with the first round spread across the opening two nights. World number one Littler headlines Monday’s opening session as he looks to successfully defend the title he won 12 months ago. The 19-year-old is aiming to become just the third player in history to retain the World Grand Prix crown, following in the footsteps of 16-time champion Phil Taylor and six-time winner Michael van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen will also take to the stage on opening night, with the Dutchman facing 2024 semi-finalist Ryan Joyce as he begins his latest bid for a seventh title. Former champions Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton will also feature on Monday, with Price taking on Polish youngster Sebastian Bialecki and Clayton facing fellow Pole Krzysztof Ratajski. There is another eye-catching contest in store as 2022 runner-up Nathan Aspinall takes on Kevin Doets in a battle between two players capable of making a deep run.
World number two Luke Humphries will headline Tuesday’s action as the 2023 champion faces two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall in one of the standout first-round ties. Humphries will be looking to rediscover his best form on a stage where he has already tasted glory, but Chisnall will provide a stern opening test as he bids to go one step further than his previous two runner-up finishes. Tuesday will also feature an all-Dutch clash between reigning European Champion Gian van Veen and 2020 runner-up Dirk van Duijvenbode. Two-time champion James Wade will begin his campaign against 2023 semi-finalist Joe Cullen, while Scottish legend Gary Anderson faces Australian number one Damon Heta. Anderson, the 2016 runner-up, will be hoping to launch another run deep into the tournament, but Heta arrives as a dangerous opponent in what promises to be another closely fought first-round encounter.
With the opening round completed on Tuesday night, the tournament will move into the last 16, with round two split across Wednesday and Thursday. The quarter-finals will then take centre stage on Friday October 2, before the semi-finals take place on Saturday October 3. The two remaining players will then go head-to-head for the £150,000 top prize in Sunday’s showpiece final on October 4. With Littler chasing back-to-back titles, Van Gerwen hunting an unprecedented seventh crown and a host of former champions and finalists in the field, Leicester is set for another week of double-start drama.
2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix
Monday September 28 (1800 BST)
Round One x8
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)
Round One x8
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)
Round Two x4 – Order of Play TBC
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)
Round Two x4 – Order of Play TBC
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)
Quarter-Finals
Saturday October 3 (2000 BST)
Semi-Finals
Sunday October 4 (2000 BST)
Final
