Phil Taylor, widely regarded as the most successful darts player in history, has announced he will come out of retirement to compete in the MODUS Super Series International Pairs Tournament next month. The 16-time world champion, who turned 66 recently, will reunite with longtime friend and fellow player Adrian Lewis for the event, which is scheduled to take place from November 23 to 28, 2026, in Portsmouth.
Taylor retired from professional darts in January 2018 after a final loss to Rob Cross in the PDC World Darts Championship. Since then, he has stayed away from the professional circuit apart from participating in a seniors tournament held in Blackpool in 2024. His return will be broadcast live and free via Pluto TV, with the full tournament lineup expected to be announced on October 10.
Adrian Lewis, 41, who has won two PDC World Championships himself, has been a significant figure in Taylor’s career, regarded as a mentee in his early years. Both players hail from Stoke-on-Trent and together secured four PDC World Cup of Darts titles between 2012 and 2016. Lewis had taken a break from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit in 2023 but made his return last year by competing in the same tournament alongside former BDO world champion Steve Beaton.
Taylor expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating that Lewis is among very few players he would consider teaming up with after retirement. “We’ve got a lot of history together,” he said, noting their deep mutual understanding of each other’s playing style. Lewis echoed these sentiments, describing the opportunity to play alongside Taylor again as “really special” and expressing optimism about their prospects in the tournament.
The MODUS Super Series is a weekly event that generally features players without a PDC tour card or those with previous high-profile careers. This year’s international pairs tournament will continue that tradition, providing a platform for a mix of talent and experience.
In related darts news, Luke Littler, the reigning World Grand Prix champion, suffered an early exit at the hands of world No. 18 Luke Woodhouse during the first round of the event in Leicester. Littler, 19, lost 2-1 despite winning the opening set. Woodhouse praised Littler’s talent following the match and urged fans to appreciate his skill without undue criticism.
This defeat came shortly after a controversial loss by world No. 1 in Amsterdam, where the player faced hostile crowd reactions, an incident that has sparked talk of boycotting future tournaments in the Netherlands. The World Grand Prix, noted for its double-in, double-out format, is one of the sport’s most prestigious competitions, offering a £150,000 prize to the winner.