Overview
- Littler collected £1,000,000 as the first champion under the doubled winner’s purse in the expanded 128-player event.
- He produced a 106.02 average with 16 maximums and sealed victory with a 147 checkout after reeling off seven straight sets.
- The win makes him the first back-to-back world champion since 2016 and one of only four players ever to defend the Sid Waddell Trophy.
- Unusual moments punctuated the final as a wasp stopped play and officials swapped out a blood-marked board after Van Veen cut his hand.
- Van Veen, now ranked world No. 3, ended a breakout run in his first senior world final after overcoming past dartitis and a surge into major contention.