Leicester, England: Defending champion Luke Littler suffered an early exit from the 2026 World Grand Prix after Luke Woodhouse produced a major first-round upset at the Mattioli Arena.

Woodhouse recovered after losing the opening set to defeat the world No. 1 2-1, ending Littler’s title defence on the opening night of the tournament.

Littler Takes the First Set

Littler began the contest positively and won the opening set 3-1.

The defending champion appeared to have established control, but Woodhouse responded strongly in the second set and took it 3-2, forcing the match into a deciding set.

Woodhouse Completes the Comeback

The third set again went Woodhouse’s way.

The 37-year-old moved into a 2-0 lead and held his nerve when the match reached its decisive stage. He eventually secured the final set 3-1, completing a 2-1 victory over the reigning champion.

Woodhouse sealed the match with a composed 75 checkout, sending him through to the next round.

Close Statistical Contest

Neither player produced their best scoring numbers, with Woodhouse recording an average of 82.51 compared with Littler’s 82.41.

The narrow difference underlined how important finishing and key moments became in a short best-of-three-set contest.

Woodhouse Faces Aspinall Next

The victory sends Woodhouse into the second round, where he will meet Nathan Aspinall.

Aspinall also came through a three-set contest on the opening night, defeating Kevin Doets 2-1.

The second-round encounter is scheduled for September 30, with matches from that stage moving to a best-of-five-set format.

Van Gerwen Also Eliminated

Littler was not the only major name to leave the tournament on the opening night.

Six-time World Grand Prix champion Michael van Gerwen was also eliminated, losing 2-1 to Ryan Joyce after winning the opening set.

Meanwhile, Gerwyn Price, Ross Smith, Danny Noppert and Jonny Clayton all advanced to the next round.

World Grand Prix Continues in Leicester

The 2026 World Grand Prix is being staged in Leicester from September 28 to October 4.

The tournament uses the distinctive double-in, double-out format, meaning players must begin each leg by hitting a double before their scoring starts. The first round is played over the best of three sets, with longer formats used in later rounds.

Littler’s unexpected elimination means a new champion will be crowned when the tournament concludes on October 4.