Kevin Doets is about to make his World Grand Prix debut this week, diving headfirst into the ‘major season’ of 2026, and he’s already dropping bombs, telling everyone the world’s number one, Luke Littler, is “not unbeatable.” This is the first time Doets steps onto this particular major stage, fresh off his World Matchplay debut a few months back. The World Grand Prix format is wild, demanding players hit a double just to start racking up points on their 501. It’s different, but Doets says his practice regimen has always been heavy on doubles, so he’s not freaking out. He only switched up his routine by adding “double-in on Dart Counter” last week, which sounds like he’s ready to roll.
First Round Fire and a Familiar Foe
Doets is set to square off against Nathan Aspinall in his opening round, and get this: Doets actually holds a winning record against him! He even snagged a thrilling victory over Aspinall in the third round of the World Championship last year. Doets ain’t shy about it either. He told The Sporting News, “He’s a great player, but so am I.” He loves to “tease him all the time that he doesn’t have a good record against me,” but he knows “every game is different, especially the Grand Prix.” Still, he’s coming in with his “head held high” and a lot of confidence. You gotta love that fire from an unseeded player, right?
The Littler Gauntlet and a Bold Claim
If Doets can get past Aspinall, things get real interesting, real fast. He’d be looking at a second-round showdown with Luke Littler. These two have duked it out a few times already, with Littler famously “escaping with a 10-8 win” at the UK Open earlier this year. But Doets is not backing down, not even against the guy who’s currently number one in the world. He flat-out said, “He’s not unbeatable… he’s not a crowd favorite right now either, but he’s still Luke Littler; he’s the number one in the world, he’s someone you want to avoid for as long as possible.” But then he added, “If you do meet him, you’re going to have to bring your A-game… to be able to play him and have a chance to beat him is amazing.” That’s the kind of competitor you want to root for, someone who respects the opponent but believes in his own game.
Doets is heading into this tournament as an unseeded player, meaning he isn’t in the top-16 on the Main Order of Merit, which makes his path way tougher for those big wins and prize money. But that’s the beauty of the World Grand Prix; it’s known for being wide open! We’ve seen wild stuff happen before, like Mike De Decker snagging the win in 2024 even though he was ranked 36th in the world. Doets gets it, saying, “This is a tournament that’s pretty open; anything can happen in this tournament.” This being his first time at the Grand Prix, he knows that “the first game is going to say a lot about where I am.” But he’s eyeing something bigger, hoping “it will be my breakthrough major.” With family and friends cheering him on, though his focus is “purely on getting the job done” once he’s on stage, you know he’s got the support to make some noise.
Keep your eyes peeled this week; Kevin Doets’ first game is going to be huge. Can he take down Aspinall and set up that epic clash with Littler? Anything can happen in this tournament, and with Doets’ fearless attitude, it’s going to be a ride!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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