The opening round of the 2026 World Grand Prix is complete, and of the 32 players who started in Leicester on Monday and Tuesday, only 16 remain. The double-in, double-out format delivered its usual dose of drama, with defending champion Luke Littler sensationally eliminated. Littler, the overwhelming favourite, never found his rhythm against Luke Woodhouse, averaging just 82.41 and falling to a 2-1 defeat. It was a huge shock, especially given Littler's remarkable year in which he had been on course for a historic clean sweep of majors before that dream ended at the World Series of Darts Finals. For the 19-year-old, it's a minor dip, but with the European Championship in Dortmund three weeks away, he has time to reset.
Michael van Gerwen also suffered a first-round exit, losing 2-1 to Ryan Joyce. It was the third consecutive year Van Gerwen failed to get past the opening round at the World Grand Prix. The 37-year-old Dutchman, whose last ranked major title came at the 2022 Players Championship Finals, has limited ranking impact from the loss as he didn't earn money here last year, but with significant sums to defend in the coming months, pressure is mounting. The Netherlands still enjoyed a record-breaking round, with five of their eight players reaching the second round: Gian van Veen (who beat Dirk van Duijvenbode 2-0), Niels Zonneveld, Wessel Nijman, Danny Noppert, and Jermaine Wattimena. Zonneveld impressed in a deciding-set win over Josh Rock, while Nijman dispatched Rob Cross 2-0. Kevin Doets also exited, missing match darts against Nathan Aspinall.
The seeds largely held firm, with only four of the 16 eliminated—the lowest number in five years. Alongside Littler, Van Gerwen, and Rock, Chris Dobey fell 2-0 to Wattimena. England dominate the last 16 with eight players: Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall, Ryan Joyce, Ross Smith, Luke Woodhouse, Ryan Searle, James Wade, and Stephen Bunting. The Netherlands have five, Wales two (Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price), and Scotland one (Gary Anderson). Of the nine nations that started, only four remain.
Gerwyn Price posted the highest average of the round, a 101.61, despite his post-match comments: “I don’t like the World Grand Prix and I don’t like the format, to be honest I don’t like the tournament at all.” Price's 2-0 win over Sebastian Bialecki sets up a blockbuster second-round clash with Ross Smith, who averaged 99.54. High averages were not a guarantee of success, though, as Kevin Doets (92.27) and Josh Rock (94.14) both lost. The top five averages were completed by Niels Zonneveld (92.14).
Second-round ties include Price vs. Smith, Nijman vs. Clayton, Noppert vs. Price, Zonneveld vs. Anderson, and Van Veen, Wattimena, and the English contingent aiming to keep the Sid Waddell Trophy in Anglo-Dutch hands.
