Overview
- Luke Littler faces Darius Labanauskas in the first round on Thursday evening, the third match of the session from 7pm on Sky Sports, with streaming via Sky Go and NOW.
- The championship field has been expanded to 128 players, requiring all top seeds to start in round one under the new format.
- The prize fund rises to £5 million, with £1 million to the winner, doubling last year’s top prize.
- Littler arrives as world No 1 after a dominant 2025 season that included the World Championship, UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship.
- Title retention has been rare since Gary Anderson in 2016, and the draw points to possible meetings with Gerwyn Price in the quarters, Stephen Bunting in the semis and Luke Humphries potentially in the 3 January final.