Adrian Lewis is plotting a sensational return to darts and is dreaming of winning a third world title.
Lewis emerged as one of the sport’s naturally gifted talents in the 2000s and etched his name into darting folklore after winning back-to-back World Championships in 2011 and 2012.
The years that followed were a struggle for Jackpot, and he stepped away from the PDC circuit in 2023 after suffering from severe burnout.
However, since overhauling his diet and dodging alcohol to help him lose three-and-a-half stone, Lewis is aiming to make a stunning comeback.
“After 20 years, I think I just needed a break and I’m ready to enjoy it again. I don’t care about the money, it’s all about the trophies for me,” he told the Double Tops podcast.
“On the exhibition circuit I’m still very competitive and I beat plenty of the Premier League players regularly, so the ability is still there I’d like to think.”
“If I was playing well enough, I don’t think I could say no to the Premier League again,” he added. “But the real reason I’m coming back is to become a three-time world champion.”
Adrian Lewis says Phil Taylor would beat Luke Littler
To pull off that ambitious target, Lewis would have to succeed against the current crop of world-class talent, including Luke Littler.
The Nuke has dominated the sport since bursting onto the scene in 2023, but despite winning 12 major titles, Jackpot still thinks a prime Phil Taylor would beat him.
“Luke [Littler] is an amazing player, but I’d still back Phil to beat him without a shadow of a doubt,” Lewis admitted.
“When I played him in the Grand Slam semi-final, I was averaging 117, and I was 9-8 down – what else can you do?! I was basically hitting two 180s a leg and losing.”
Lewis shares his verdict on the rise of darts
Lewis has pondered a comeback for a while, and after transforming his body and mind, he’s finally ready to return to the oche.
That could come at the start of 2027 when Q-school starts, and that will be a great chance to see what standard he’s currently performing at.
In any case, Lewis is returning to a sport that has grown exponentially in recent years, and he can’t believe how big darts now is.
“Do you know what, like I was just saying to Dan Dawson before, 15 years ago if somebody had said to me we’d have a Target pop-up shop in the middle of Manchester, you’d have laughed at them wouldn’t you?” Lewis said in an interview with Online Darts in October 2025.
“Honestly it’s crazy. It’s absolutely fantastic. What a place, yeah. And the turnout as well has been incredible. Unbelievable – people are still coming through the doors now.”
