Luke Littler's ascent in the darting world has been nothing short of meteoric.
Fresh from his sensational World Matchplay victory in Blackpool, a triumph that completed his coveted "Triple Crown" of major TV titles, many might assume "The Nuke" is now the undisputed world number one.
Yet, despite his incredible success, Luke Humphries, "Cool Hand Luke," still holds the top spot in the PDC World Rankings.
So, why isn't Littler officially number one, and what stands in his way?
The answer lies in the intricate system of the PDC Order of Merit, which governs the sport's global rankings.
Unlike a points-based system often seen in other sports, darts rankings are determined by the total prize money won in ranking tournaments over a rolling two-year period.
This crucial detail explains why Littler, despite winning the 2025 World Championship, the 2025 UK Open, and now the 2025 World Matchplay, hasn't yet surpassed Humphries.
Currently, as of July 28, 2025, Luke Humphries leads the standings with approximately £1,797,750 in prize money.
Luke Littler, hot on his heels after his £200,000 World Matchplay windfall, sits at around £1,500,500, just under £300,000 shy of the summit.
The core reason for this gap despite Littler's recent trophy haul is the two-year rolling cycle and his relatively short professional career.
Littler only earned his PDC Tour Card at the start of 2024.
This means almost all of his substantial prize money, including the £500,000 from his 2025 World Championship win and the £200,000 from the recent World Matchplay, has been accumulated in a comparatively short timeframe and is still fully contributing to his ranking.
Conversely, Luke Humphries's reign at the top is built on a phenomenal run of form in late 2023 and early 2024.
He famously won the 2023 World Grand Prix, the 2023 Grand Slam of Darts, and the 2023 Players Championship Finals, culminating in his 2024 World Championship triumph over Littler. Humphries' ranking currently reflects prize money from these significant wins over the past two years.
As the calendar progresses, however, Humphries will have to defend this money.
For every tournament where he doesn't match or improve upon his prize money from two years prior, his ranking total will decrease.
A prime example is Humphries' first-round exit at the recent World Matchplay, where he only earned £10,000 compared to the £50,000 he secured by reaching the semi-finals in 2023.
This £40,000 drop directly narrowed the gap to Littler.
Looking ahead, the darting calendar presents numerous opportunities for Littler to seize the top spot.
With eight Players Championship events and four European Tour events before the next major TV tournaments, Littler, who won the 2025 World Championship and the 2025 UK Open, will be accumulating fresh prize money that fully contributes to his ranking.
Meanwhile, Humphries will be facing the challenge of defending the substantial earnings from his incredible 2023 run, including the World Grand Prix (October), Grand Slam of Darts (November), and Players Championship Finals (November).
If "The Nuke" maintains his blistering form and Humphries falters in defending his 2023 titles, it's highly probable that Luke Littler could become the world number one well before the 2026 World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
The race for darts supremacy is well and truly on, and it's a battle of current brilliance against historical consistency on the PDC's unique Order of Merit.
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