The former world number one, 30, was stunned by Lim, 71, in the opening round of the 2021 World Darts Championship, exiting the tournament just before Christmas in a result that initially left him questioning his future in the sport.
Speaking about the impact of that defeat with SportsBoom, he said: “That night I was really disheartened; I was feeling that I wasn’t good enough anymore and let’s give up. That’s what a typical young lad would do. 'Let’s give it up. I’m not good enough.'”
However, rather than walking away, Humphries used the disappointment as motivation to reassess his lifestyle, mindset and preparation, changes he now credits with transforming him into a multiple-time major winner.
He said: “But I didn’t. I made changes and I’m glad I did because if it didn’t work out at least I would’ve done everything I could to be the best version of myself and for me the changes that needed to be made.”
Those changes were both physical and mental, and Humphries admitted he was unhappy with his fitness and self-confidence at the time - factors that contributed to inconsistency on the biggest stage.
He said: “I didn’t like the way I looked. I didn’t like the way I felt, didn’t like the way I was feeling tired all the time to be honest. And you do when you’re overweight, you feel tired a lot.”
Humphries went on to lose four stone, overhaul his approach to training and rebuild his belief, a transformation that fuelled a rapid rise up the rankings.
Within a few years, Cool Hand Luke had become one of the most consistent performers on the PDC circuit, eventually reaching world number one and lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy at Alexandra Palace in 2024.
Looking back, Humphries insists the defeat to Lim does not linger as a regret, as, he instead sees it as a necessary jolt at a crucial stage of his development.
He said: “I think I won that night to be honest. It gives you a little bit of a kick up the backside sometimes you do need that in life, sometimes a loss like that in any sport can help someone. I feel like it did.”
The match also highlighted issues with stamina, something Humphries was determined to address.
He said: “The two sets I was up, I started to get a little bit jaded, a little bit tired and it cost me and you just learn from their experiences.”
Humphries now believes that self-reflection has been key to his longevity at the top level.
He said: “There’s a lot of things I didn’t like about myself, and I changed it or put it right and it kind of gave me more confidence in myself. Not just as a player but as a person as well. And I think that’s what definitely helped me become the player today.”
Read SportsBoom’s full interview with Luke Humphries here: https://www.sportsboom.co.uk/darts/world-darts-championship/luke-humphries-pinpoints-paul-lim-defeat-as-moment-transformed-his-life
