Darts star Rob Cross is set for a monumental fourth-round showdown with world number one Luke Littler at the PDC World Darts Championship this Tuesday, aiming to reignite his career at Alexandra Palace after a turbulent year marked by plummeting rankings and off-the-oche controversy.
A Stunning Return to Form at Ally Pally
Despite a difficult period, Rob Cross has rediscovered his best form on the sport's biggest stage. He began his 2026 World Championship campaign with a sharp victory over Cor Dekker, followed by a win against Ian White. He then produced a statement performance, delivering a commanding 4-0 whitewash of Damon Heta to power into the last 16.
This impressive run sets up a blockbuster repeat of the 2024 semi-final against Luke Littler. The match represents a major opportunity for Cross to secure redemption and stage a dramatic upset against the current top seed.
A Year of Struggle and Scandal
The road to this year's championship has been fraught with challenges for Cross. While he started 2025 by winning the opening Players Championship event, his season unravelled from there. For the first time in his professional career, he failed to reach a single televised major quarter-final and did not qualify for the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts.
This lack of consistency in major tournaments triggered a severe slide down the world rankings. From a lofty position of fourth in the world, Cross plummeted to 17th by the end of 2025. This decline meant he entered the 2026 World Championship at Alexandra Palace outside of the protected top 16 seeds.
Compounding his sporting woes, Cross faced significant off-board issues. In June 2025, he was disqualified from acting as a company director for five years following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. The probe found his company, Rob Cross Darts Limited, had failed to pay over £450,000 in tax.
Official reports further revealed Cross had withdrawn more than £300,000 from company accounts for personal use while the business owed substantial debts to HMRC. The stress of this financial and legal scandal is widely considered a key factor in his dip in form.
The Daunting Littler Challenge
Cross now faces a formidable task to continue his Ally Pally revival. His historical record against the teenage sensation Littler is poor, with just three wins from their 16 professional meetings. However, a glimmer of hope comes from their most recent clash; one of those three victories came in August 2025 at the Players Championship.
It is easy to forget that Rob Cross is a former world champion, having produced one of the sport's greatest shocks by winning the title as an outsider in 2018. He will need to channel that same fearless energy if he is to overcome the odds and defeat Luke Littler in what promises to be a electrifying encounter at Alexandra Palace.
