Luke Humphries admits he will have to work 'harder than ever' as he bids to reclaim the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts title in Wolverhampton.
Humphries produced one of the finest performances of his career to celebrate Grand Slam of Darts glory two years ago – a victory he will need to emulate if he’s to preserve the world number spot he’s occupied since January 2024.
The 30-year-old produced a string of sublime displays to triumph in Wolverhampton in November 2023, defeating Rob Cross 16-8 in the final to lift the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy for the first time.
As a result, Humphries will be defending £150,000 in prize money on the two-year ranking system, as he sets his sights on a third PDC Premier title of the campaign.
He will open his title challenge against CDC Continental Cup champion Alex Spellman, with former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall and 2022 Grand Slam winner Michael Smith also featuring in a star-studded Group A.
Humphries is currently embroiled in a battle with Luke Littler for the premier position in world darts, and he acknowledges it will take something special to remain at the darting summit.
“I might have to accept that I could lose the number one spot for a couple of months, and then if I go to the World Championship and win it, I’ll gain it back,” insisted Humphries.
“22 months of such success and I’ve embraced it, and I have really enjoyed being world number one.
“I think I’ve done it justice to be honest, and whether I never get it back or I do keep it for a long, long time, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.
“If Luke does take it, he will be a worthy world number one, but I’m not going to give it away. I’m going to fight as hard as I can.”
Humphries has been a finalist in each of the last two televised ranking events, succumbing to an imperious Littler at last month’s World Grand Prix, before losing out in a dramatic European Championship decider against Gian van Veen.
However, he is determined to raise his game to even greater heights and continue challenging Littler over the coming months.
“I’ve got many more battles with Luke in the future that I need to be better for, but he is amazing,” continued the 2023/24 World Champion.
“I have to get better; I have to practice harder and if I don’t then he will just walk away with it every time.
“I have to go home and dedicate everything to being a dart player and work harder than I ever have, because I want to match him.”
The 2025 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).