Tournament Basics Dates & Venue:
July 19–27 at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens
Format:
1st round: best of 19 legs
2nd round: best of 21
Quarters: best of 31
Semis: best of 33
Final: best of 35
All matches require a two-leg lead; sudden death after six extra if needed.
Prize Fund:
£800 000 total; £200 000 for the champion, plus runner-up gets £100 000
Form & Favourites
Luke Humphries (World No. 1)
Defending champ—he averaged over 100 in all five matches during his 2024 campaign (only Phil Taylor has done likewise) Fresh from wins in the Players Championship, World Masters, and Premier League. Facing World Youth Champion Gian van Veen in Round 1—a player who beat him in a Players Championship final in March. Their H2H is 4–1 in Humphries’ favour .
Luke Littler (World Champion & No. 2 seed)
A prodigy who won the 2025 World Championship at young 17 years 347 days—breaking van Gerwen’s record. Entering Matchplay with a 74% singles win rate this year—slightly ahead of Humphries at 70%—making it statistically unlikely both lose early (only ~7.8% chance). Plays Ryan Searle in the first round, hoping to improve on last year’s early exit.
Gerwyn Price:
Weight loss, gym work, strong tournament showing—Poland Masters, Baltic Sea Open, World Cup finalist. Many consider him a genuine contender.
Josh Rock, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson
Josh Rock (4th favorite) had a strong UK Open, and won the World Cup with NI.
MvG, a three-time Matchplay champion, returns after a personal break; first match is a blockbuster against Raymond van Barneveld.
Gary Anderson, a former champ, averaging 108 in a recent Baltic Sea Open.
Key Stats & Trends:
100+ averages have occurred 142 times in Matchplay history; Taylor accounted for 62 of them—showing the elite company Humphries and Littler are joining. Phil Taylor’s dominance: 16 titles in the first 24 events, including averaging 100+ in all five rounds in 2010, ‘11, ‘13. Since Taylor’s reign ended, we’ve seen seven different winners in seven years, making it eight if someone else wins in 2025.
180s & High Finishes:
Price leads the tour in 180s with 388 so far, second only to Littler’s 500 in 2025. But historically, high maximum finishes (170s) rarely exceed 3.5 per tournament.
Storylines to Watch:
Can Humphries join the rarefied group of players (Taylor, Harrington, van Gerwen) to defend the Matchplay?
Will the ‘Lukes’ collide in a late showdown? Their rivalry is sizzling—Humphries edged Littler 11–8 in a Premier League final, but Littler leads the overall H2H.
Can Price convert form into gold? He’s long overdue a Matchplay crown and looks fitter and sharper.
Veteran resurgence vs. youth explosion: Will van Gerwen, Anderson, and Wade reassert, or will Rock and Gian van Veen continue their breakout runs?
Schedule Highlights First round: Sat–Mon (July 19–21)
Quarters: July 24–25
Semis: July 26
Final (men’s & women’s): Sunday July 27
Final Take
This year’s Matchplay feels like a real passing of the torch moment. The seasoned excellence of Humphries and van Gerwen is locked in with Littler and Rock’s ascension, while Price is back to peak fitness. Expect fireworks—high averages, clutch finishes, and possibly another first-time winner, keeping the title legacy as diverse as ever. Ready for a thrilling week in Blackpool?
Who’s your pick: proven champion, teenage prodigy, or under-the-radar contender?
Our Pick
Gerwyn Price @ 8/1 with Betfred