Luke Littler has endured a gruelling schedule since the World Championship and has opted to pull out of this week’s World Series event.
Littler lifted the Premier League last month after 17 weeks and has had to play Pro Tours, Euro Tours and qualifiers to earn rankings points in his fledgling career.
The teenager’s success on tour – winning three ranking titles – has guaranteed him qualification for all the major events in 2024 and has allowed him to take a more relaxed approach.
‘The Nuke’ headed over to New York last week to compete in the US Darts Masters before opting to extend his stay in the States with a much needed holiday.
Luke Littler insists he will manage his schedule carefully
Littler headed down to Orlando, Florida with his family and manager to enjoy some rare time away from the limelight.
He told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that the safety net of his ranking has allowed him to skip events if he needs a rest.
“I just said to my manager ‘Can I have the week off?; I don’t want to play. I wanna go on holiday’.
“I can pick and choose what I want to play now because my ranking is this good. I have qualified for almost every event. I’m just picking and choosing. If I’m not up for it and the travel is killing me off, I’ll just have a week off.”
Luke Littler is the world’s busiest dart player
You would be hard pushed to find a player busier than Littler in 2024.
The youngster had no choice but to play every ranking event and qualifier at the start of the year to ensure his entry into tournaments such as the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.
He has also played in the first three World Series events of the year and four months of the Premier League.
On top of that, the 17-year-old has been one of the most in-demand sports stars in the country appearing on talk shows, radio shows and podcasts.
It’s important Littler manages his schedule to avoid suffering from burnout.
The second half of the year is stacked with five major ranking events taking place before the 2025 World Championship.
If he’s to be at his peak, he must pace himself and Littler’s family and management have done an excellent job at nurturing their superstar.