Luke Littler lost his place in the top 10 of the ProTour rankings: reasons for the decline.

According to The Sun: Luke Littler recently lost his place in the top ten of the ProTour rankings.

The world champion reached the final of the World Series of Darts on Sunday, but lost to Michael van Gerwen.

PA

Littler, 18 years old, was one of eight seeded players at the tournament, but has now fallen outside the top ten.

He won two masterclasses in Australia and New Zealand, which qualified him, but ultimately did not make it to the top 10.

This happened largely because the dart player missed several tournaments this year, including the Players Championship.

One of the darts executives noted that the young athlete is 'carefully managing' his schedule.

Littler has already earned £136,500 in prize money, placing him 11th.

He is slightly behind Vesele Neiman, who is in tenth place, as the Belgian has earned just £2,500 more.

Steven Bunting tops the rankings, having won an impressive prize pool of £192,000 from victories at the Bahrain and Nordic masterclasses.

Martin Schindler and Gerwyn Price hold the second and third positions, respectively.

Prospects for Littler

Littler still holds second place in the PDC Order of Merit, trailing Luke Humphries.

The situation may change, as the young dart player is closing in on his opponent, and a successful end to the year could allow him to surpass Humphries, who will remain in first place starting January 2024.

Next Tournament

Next opportunity for Littler to close the gap is the Dart Trophy in Hungary, kicking off tomorrow with a prize pool of £30,000 for the winner.

Luke Littler continues to be one of the most promising stars in darts. Despite the ranking situation, his achievements and potential development promise an exciting future for the young athlete in this sport. Success in upcoming tournaments, such as the Dart Trophy, could significantly impact his standing in professional darts and increase his chances of returning to the top ten.