Luke Littler has declared he can “give it back to the fans” when spectators attempt to throw him off his game with disruptive whistling.
The 19-year-old two-time world champion found himself irritated during his quarter-final clash against Gerwyn Price at Nottingham Arena, which he won 6-5.
Despite recording a remarkable average of 108.66 over the 11-leg encounter, the teenager was visibly affected when a member of the crowd whistled as he aimed at double tops, causing him to miss two darts.
The Nuke responded to the disruption by waving his arms up and down after hitting a crucial checkout.
Speaking to Sky Sports following his victory, Littler said he has now reached a point in his career where he can respond to the crowd while still performing at the highest level.
The world No1 said: “From last year, maybe two years, it was very difficult.
“But yeah, I showed there that I can give it back to the fans. Go on and win games and forget about it.
“At one point, I thought it was going to ruin the game, it was an incredible game, but I am just glad I got the job done.”
Luke Littler has declared he can ‘give it back to the fans’ when spectators attempt to throw him off his game
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GETTY
The teenager also took aim at local supporters by mocking Nottingham Forest’s recent European disappointment.
Littler held up his fingers to ridicule the club’s 1-0 loss to Danish outfit Midtjylland in the Europa League last 16 first leg, clearly enjoying winding up the home crowd.
The gesture was designed to get under the skin of Forest fans present at the arena, turning the tables on those who had tried to unsettle him earlier in the evening.
Whistling during a player’s throw remains difficult for officials to prevent and can significantly affect a competitor’s concentration and accuracy.
Whistling during a player’s throw remains difficult for officials to prevent and can significantly affect a competitor’s concentration and accuracy
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GETTY
However, the young star demonstrated he is more than capable of handling hostile atmospheres and dishing out his own form of retaliation when provoked by partisan crowds.
Littler’s evening came to an end in the semi-finals, where he suffered a 6-5 defeat to Luke Humphries, with no repeat of the whistling controversy.
Humphries, 31, sealed his progression on his fourth match dart with an impressive 128 checkout.
The victory marked Cool Hand Luke’s first triumph over his younger rival since their meeting at the 2025 Premier League final at London’s O2 Arena.
Five things to know about Luke Littler | PAJonny Clayton ultimately claimed the Nottingham Premier League night, demolishing Humphries 6-1 in the final.
With his tournament run concluded, Littler can now turn his attention to the Cheltenham Festival.
The teenage sensation is planning to attend Friday’s Gold Cup alongside girlfriend Faith, the showpiece event of the four-day National Hunt racing meeting.
