Grand Slam of Darts 2026 | Day One Preview and Order of Play

The 2026 Grand Slam of Darts gets under way in Wolverhampton on Saturday with 16 crucial opening group stage matches.

The newly-expanded ranking tournament will feature 48 players competing for a record £1 million prize fund at the Aldersley Leisure Village from November 14-22.

In a change to previous years, players are split into 16 groups of three, with only the group winner advancing to the knockout stages.

The afternoon session features a number of intriguing ties, including World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle – who hit a nine-darter here in 2023 – versus debutant Charlie Manby, who claimed his first Players Championship title a week ago.

Nathan Aspinall, the 2022 runner-up, gets his Group P campaign off and running with a tie against debutant Tour Card holder qualifier Maik Kuivenhoven.

Premier League star Josh Rock, who qualified courtesy of his Austrian Open triumph, faces a tough opening assignment against Challenge Tour star Tommy Morris – who sensationally scooped a maiden Players Championship title last week.

Fifth seed Jonny Clayton, winner of October’s Swiss Darts Trophy, starts out against Swedish newcomer Anton Ostlund – who qualified courtesy of winning the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship.

Jermaine Wattimena, quarter-finalist here two years ago and a Players Championship event winner this season, faces four-time Women’s World Champion Lisa Ashton – who is vying to progress to the knockout stage of the Grand Slam for the first time in six appearances.

Group J kicks off with a clash between Baltic Sea Darts Open champion Luke Woodhouse and debutant Tour Card holder qualifier Tom Sykes, while Group D sees Premier League star Stephen Bunting face Australia’s Raymond Smith – making his debut after winning the ANZ Premier League.

Wessel Nijman, a six-time Players Championship and two-time European Tour event winner this season, opens up against American ace Adam Sevada – who claimed this year’s North American Championship title in New York.

Undoubtedly the stand-out tie of the evening session sees defending champion Luke Littler put his unbeaten record on the line against Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves in a highly-anticipated first televised meeting between the dominant duo.

Littler returns to Wolverhampton looking to protect his perfect record in the competition, having claimed back-t0-back titles.

The world number one is out to emulate Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen and become the third player to land a hat-trick of Grand Slam titles since the event began in 2007.

Littler narrowly prevailed 6-5 in their first meeting on the ProTour last year, before Greaves claimed a memorable triumph in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship by the same scoreline.

Greaves, a Players Championship event winner this season and an unstoppable force in the Women’s Series, looks to make it out of the group phase at the fourth time of asking, having lost in agonising last-leg deciders to Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson 12 months ago.

Elsewhere, three-time Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price opens up against Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Joe Hunt.

Fourth seed Price has finished runner-up in three majors this season as well as reaching a further four major semi-finals, though his last televised ranking title came at this event back in 2021.

Luke Humphries, the 2023 champion, looks to hit the ground running in his quest to regain the Eric Bristow Trophy when he faces PDC Asian Championship winner Paolo Nebrida.

Humphries missed last month’s European Championship through illness but returned in style by picking up a fourth Players Championship title of the season last week and going on to reach the final the following day.

Three-time Grand Slam finalist James Wade aims to put two points on the board at the first opportunity in Group K when he faces World Youth Championship finalist Cam Crabtree.

Germany’s Jan Schmidt, who will face Crabtree in the final in Minehead later this month, marks his Grand Slam debut with a tie against former Masters champion Chris Dobey – a three-time Players Championship event winner this season.

Former European Champion and World Championship finalist Gian van Veen opens up against debutant qualifier Carl Sneyd in Group N.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Michael van Gerwen, who last triumphed in this event back in 2017, faces a tricky opener against emerging star Henry Coates – who claimed a Players Championship title earlier this year despite not holding a Tour Card.

Ross Smith, who heads to Wolverhampton in the best form of his career on the back of winning the World Series Finals and European Championship, starts out as strong favourite against Austria’s Rusty-Jake Rodriguez – who came through the Tour Card holder qualifier despite having won just two matches on the ProTour all season.

The action gets under way from 1pm, with group stage matches to be contested over the best of nine legs.

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Grand Slam of Darts 2026 Day One Schedule of Play

Saturday November 14

Group Stage

Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Luke Woodhouse v Tom Sykes (J)
Jermaine Wattimena v Lisa Ashton (B)
Stephen Bunting v Raymond Smith (D)
Ryan Searle v Charlie Manby (F)
Josh Rock v Tommy Morris (C)
Wessel Nijman v Adam Sevada (H)
Nathan Aspinall v Maik Kuivenhoven (P)
Jonny Clayton v Anton Ostlund (G)

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Gerwyn Price v Joe Hunt (E)
James Wade v Cam Crabtree (K)
Ross Smith v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (O)
Michael van Gerwen v Henry Coates (L)
Luke Humphries v Paolo Nebrida (I)
Luke Littler v Beau Greaves (A)
Gian van Veen v Carl Sneyd (M)
Chris Dobey v Jan Schmidt (N)