2032 IDF World Championship
| 2032 IDF World Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 13 December 2031 – 2 January 2032 | ||
| Venue | Alexandra Palace | ||
| Location | London | ||
| Country |  | ||
| Organisation(s) | International Darts Federation | ||
| Format | Sets | ||
| Prize fund | $7,500,000 | ||
| Winner's share | $1,500,000 | ||
| Nine-dart finish | Niklas Stein Theo Bartlett | ||
| High checkout | 170 (Theo Bartlett) | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
| Theo Bartlett | |||
| |||
The 2032 IDF World Championship was a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF) and held at Alexandra Palace in London, England, from 13 December 2031 to 2 January 2032. It was the ninth edition of the IDF World Championship and offered a total prize fund of $7,500,000, with the winner receiving $1,500,000.
128 players competed, with the top 32 on the IDF Order of Merit seeded through to the second round. Liam Renshaw entered the tournament as the defending champion, having claimed his second title in 2031. However, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by 21-year-old rising star Theo Bartlett, who went on to win the tournament in stunning fashion.
Bartlett defeated Zane Holloway 7–6 in one of the most dramatic finals in IDF history, surviving four match darts and landing a 170 checkout in the deciding set to capture his first world title. Bartlett became the youngest world champion since Elias Storm’s 2026 breakthrough and ended the year ranked world number one.
The tournament also saw former champions Elias Storm and Bentley Quade suffer early exits, while German talent Niklas Stein reached the semi-finals on debut. Two nine-dart finishes were recorded, and overall tournament averages remained historically high.
Tournament summary[edit | edit source]
First round[edit | edit source]
Several matches went the distance on the opening days, including Riku Fujimoto’s comeback win over Carter Willis after trailing two sets to nil. Bartlett produced a confident 3–0 win over Mattias Loeb in his world championship debut. Tobias Vestergaard averaged 100.4 in a 3–1 win over Jayden Akana in one of the best first-round performances.
Second round[edit | edit source]
The seeded players entered, but upsets were immediate. 6th seed Darrel Stone was stunned 3–1 by Danny Vos, while Bartlett defeated 27th seed Bradley Cook in straight sets. Renshaw opened his title defence with a dominant 3–0 win over Vincent Kwok, while Storm dropped the opening set before recovering to beat Daniel Frey 3–1.
Third round[edit | edit source]
Renshaw defeated Felix Kraus 4–1 with five 180s and 68% on doubles. Bartlett produced the highest average of the round (104.1) in a 4–2 win over Tobias Vestergaard. Zane Holloway ousted Freddie Pike in a tense six-set match, and Niklas Stein continued his impressive debut with a 4–0 win against Marco Flynn.
Fourth round (last 16)[edit | edit source]
Theo Bartlett came from behind to beat Tyson Hale 4–3 in a match that featured 15 180s and a 142 checkout to win the sixth set. Storm was eliminated 4–2 by Holloway, who averaged 103.5 and closed with a 12-dart leg. Renshaw eased past Craig Tomlinson, and Stein held off Dean Maddox in a nervy final set.
Quarter-finals[edit | edit source]
Renshaw and Bartlett met in the tie of the round. Bartlett raced to a 3–0 lead before Renshaw clawed back to 3–3, but the youngster held his nerve, checking out 121 in the final set to win 5–4. Holloway beat Tyler Brooks 5–2, and Stein ousted Jamal Khan in another deciding-set thriller. Matthew Keane beat Patrick Lang 5–1.
Semi-finals[edit | edit source]
Bartlett dismantled Keane 6–2 in a statement performance, averaging 101.9 and hitting a 170 checkout to break in the fourth set. Holloway and Stein played out a tense back-and-forth battle, with Holloway eventually winning 6–4 after surviving a match dart in the ninth set.
Final[edit | edit source]
Theo Bartlett and Zane Holloway contested a dramatic 13-set final. Bartlett led 3–1, but Holloway surged ahead 5–4 with consistent scoring and clinical doubles. Bartlett recovered to lead 6–5, but Holloway forced a decider and had four darts to win the title. Bartlett punished the misses, sealing the match with a 170 checkout to claim his first world championship title.
Prize money[edit | edit source]
The prize fund remained at $7,500,000 for the second consecutive year.
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $1,500,000 |
| Runner-up | $750,000 |
| Semi-finalists | $375,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | $200,000 |
| Last 16 | $100,000 |
| Last 32 | $50,000 |
| Last 64 | $25,000 |
| First round | $15,000 |
Nine-dart finishes[edit | edit source]
Two nine-dart finishes were recorded at the tournament:
- Niklas Stein – Third round vs Marco Flynn (Set 3, Leg 1)
- Theo Bartlett – Quarter-final vs Liam Renshaw (Set 2, Leg 2)
High checkout[edit | edit source]
- 170 – Theo Bartlett (Final vs Zane Holloway)