Michael van Gerwen beats Luke Littler to win first TV title in two years
Lewis Watson 
The wait is finally over for Michael van Gerwen, who beat Luke Littler in the final to win the World Series of Darts for the sixth time.
The Dutchman was second favourite with sports betting sites heading into the final, but turned back the clock to find some vintage form on home soil and end a barren spell on the oche.
Free Bets darts expert, Lewis Watson, explains what the win meant for van Gerwen.
Michael van Gerwen roared back onto darts’ biggest stage with a statement victory in Amsterdam this weekend, silencing his doubters and reclaiming his place at the summit - albeit temporarily.
The Dutchman, without a televised crown since 2023, toppled defending champion Luke Littler 11-7 to seal his sixth World Series of Darts title in front of a feverish home crowd.
The numbers told the story, but so did the theatre inside the AFAS Live Arena. Three 180s in the opening five legs set the tone, van Gerwen striding into the first interval 3-2 ahead.
Littler, in true champion style, punched back immediately, but the old master found another gear. Three legs on the spin re-established control, and suddenly the "Green Machine" was rolling.
At 6-7 down, Littler blinked. A dart at double that could have levelled the contest instead opened the door, and van Gerwen barged straight through. From there, he stretched clear. A majestic 130 checkout sealed the deal, the numbers settling at a 98.37 average and MVG was back in the winners' circle.
"This means the world to me," he told ITV Sport, emotion catching in his throat. "I’ve had to dig deep, but in front of my home fans? Incredible. I’ve never really been away.
"I still love what I do, people need to understand. I love to play, whether that be Holland, England, Germany. It means the world to me. Hopefully this is the beginning of a bright future for me."
It had been a gruelling night for both Littler and van Gerwen. An 11-6 semi-final win over Josh Rock earlier in the night set the tone for the Dutchman, while Littler produced heroics of his own in edging Gerwyn Price 11-10 from 9-5 down. But when the dust settled, it was van Gerwen lifting silverware again — a reminder to everyone that the king of Dutch darts is far from done.
Litter, still 18, showed his class online following his final defeat.
"May not have won but it has been another great tournament for me. Really good seeing @mvg180 (van Gerwen) back playing his best and congrats on the title."
Littler's incredible 2025 on the oche continues. Despite defeat in Amsterdam, the "Nuke" has won 13 trophies and reached another six finals (including Premier League nights).
Attention now turns to a busy run on the PDC calendar.
The Hungarian Darts Trophy kicks off on Friday, followed by the Swiss Darts Trophy the weekend after. The World Grand Prix, German Darts Championship and European Championship fill up the October schedule before the Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and World Championship end 2025's slate.
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