De Decker, in a stunning turn of events, produced the performance of his life to overcome Luke Humphries 6-4 in sets at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena. The reigning champion was left in disbelief as De Decker defied a stirring fightback to clinch the double-start crown in a remarkable upset.
The 28-year-old Belgian had never progressed beyond the last 32 of a televised event before last week. However, he came of age in the East Midlands, breaking new ground and solidifying his place in the darts world.
“It’s so amazing,” De Decker said, clearly proud of his achievement. Climbing 11 places to a career-high of 25th on the PDC Order of Merit, he expressed his joy at the victory. “I’ve been really happy with my performance all week, but this tops it off. I’m lost for words.”
He went on to reflect on his journey, stating, “I have never been a brilliant stage performer. I don’t really like all the attention and the interviews, but this week I have managed to block it all out.” De Decker had modest expectations entering the tournament, simply aiming to win his first game. Yet, he left Leicester with the trophy and his first major title.
Humphries, who came into the showpiece event fresh off an impressive straight-sets win against Ryan Joyce in the semifinals, could not match De Decker’s form in the final. Despite posting the second-highest average in a World Grand Prix semifinal, the world number one fell behind as De Decker stormed into a commanding 4-1 lead after the opening set.
De Decker’s victory completes a remarkable comeback story, having only regained his PDC Tour Card in 2020. Emulating his compatriot Dimitri Van den Bergh, he became the second Belgian to win a premier PDC title, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.