The World Grand Prix returns to Leicester from Monday 28.09.2026, with the world's best chasing the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy and a successor to Luke Littler, who claimed last year's title with a commanding 6-1 win over Luke Humphries in the final. But as the double-in, double-out major rolls around again, the roll of honour remains strikingly short — only twelve different players have ever lifted the coveted trophy, leaving a remarkable number of darting giants conspicuously absent from the honours list.
Phil Taylor leads the way with a staggering eleven titles from nineteen appearances, followed by Michael van Gerwen with six from fifteen. James Wade has two from twenty-one appearances, while Gerwyn Price, Luke Humphries, Alan Warriner, Colin Lloyd, Robert Thornton, Daryl Gurney, Jonny Clayton, Mike De Decker and Luke Littler have one apiece. For Raymond van Barneveld, arguably the biggest name missing, the pain is acute: he reached the final twice, losing 6-2 to Taylor in 2008 and 6-3 to the same opponent a year later. Despite an exceptional checkout percentage — a crucial weapon in a format where every leg must be opened and closed on a double — the Dutchman never landed the crown, with Taylor proving the definitive specialist in the format.
Two-time PDC world champion John Part also fell twice to Taylor, losing the 2002 final 7-3 as 'The Power' posted a 100.17 average — still the only ton-plus average ever recorded in a World Grand Prix final — before a 7-2 defeat a year later. Gary Anderson, another two-time world champion, reached the 2016 final but was beaten 5-2 by Van Gerwen, his doubles in Leicester often proving his Achilles' heel. Adrian Lewis lost his only final 6-3 to James Wade in 2010, while Peter Wright, world champion in 2020 and 2022, was denied by Van Gerwen in 2018. Rob Cross has never gone beyond the quarter-finals, Michael Smith's best run is a semi-final, and Dennis Priestley went no further than three semi-finals.
The Dutch contingent behind Van Gerwen is strikingly short. Roland Scholten reached the 2001 final but bowed to Alan Warriner-Little, missing the chance to become the first Dutch winner, while Dirk van Duijvenbode battled into the 2020 decider — staged behind closed doors in Coventry due to the coronavirus pandemic — only to lose 5-2 to Gerwyn Price. Terry Jenkins remains the most poignant tale of all: nine major finals, nine defeats, including World Grand Prix losses to Taylor (7-4 in 2006) and Wade (6-3 in 2007). Mervyn King, who reached five PDC major finals, was beaten 6-4 by a young Van Gerwen in the 2012 final, though he had already won two BDO majors and the 2005 International Darts League.
Simon Whitlock suffered a painful defeat in the 2017 final at Dublin's Citywest Hotel, losing a deciding set to Daryl Gurney as he chased a second major title to add to his 2012 European Championship. Rod Harrington, twice a World Matchplay winner, was runner-up in 1998; Nathan Aspinall, owner of two majors, lost the 2022 final to Van Gerwen; and Peter Manley reached five semi-finals without ever making the final leap. As the article concludes, the World Grand Prix demands a different skill set — heavy scoring must be paired with double efficiency, and one poor start can have immediate consequences — underlining that success elsewhere is no guarantee in Leicester, where even the sport's biggest names sometimes miss out on the main prize.
