Luke Humphries admits he has ‘lost the love’ for PDC ProTour
04/10/2024 By Aaron Nijjar
Luke Humphries has admitted that he has “lost the love” for the PDC ProTour despite winning his first Players Championship event in 2024 in Wigan.
Humphries was left pondering whether to withdraw from the final event on Thursday due to exhaustion, but he credited his fiancé for encouraging him to remain that extra day.
The 2024 PDC World Champion defeated the in-form Stephen Bunting in a last-leg decider to claim the £15,000 prize.
The Newbury-born star highlighted in his post-match interview that the intensity of the schedule has led to him missing numerous off-TV events.
“I feel like I have lost the love on the ProTour and I want to regain it next year,” he expressed.
“I was looking at just seeing myself through, and we go again next year, and I find the love again.
“This year I did lose a bit of love for being in this room. It does happen; there is no coincidence. You got Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Gezzy [Price]. It has only been me and Luke [Littler] at one point was only in the top 16 of the ProTour Order of Merit out of the Premier League players.”
The 29-year-old frankly assessed that work still needed to be done in preparation for the busy latter stages of the year.
“I think it takes your toll on you. I played more darts than anybody in the last twelve months since the World Grand Prix last year and it does tire you out.
“You can be as young as you want, but I feel like I have put on a little bit of weight since the Premier League and I felt a bit tired the last couple days and managed it well today.
“I’m going to get back on that exercise bike and lose a bit more weight as I feel my energy levels have dropped a little bit and I think that’s what cost me sometimes.
“I get to these last 16’s and quarter-finals and run out of steam.”
Humphries will start his Grand Prix title defence with a repeat fixture against Bunting, with his eyes set on becoming the third player after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen to retain the crown.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
