Beau Greaves' remarkable victory over world No 1 Luke Littler at the PDC World Youth Championships last October should have catapulted her to stardom. However, many media outlets focused on her gender, with headlines like 'Littler beaten by a woman' and 'Littler suffers shock defeat in Battle of the Sexes'. This win was a defining moment for Greaves, but the emphasis on her gender raised questions about its impact on her long-term prospects in the sport.
According to Laura Turner, Sky Sports pundit and pro player, 'We want the publicity, we want the role models, we want people to be visible, but be visible for the right reasons - and that's just the quality of play.' Turner reflected on the trailblazing exploits of players like Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, and Anastasia Dobromyslova, who paved the way for Greaves. Before Greaves, these women achieved milestones such as winning a tour card at Q-School, winning a match at the PDC World Darts Championship, and beating a male professional on TV.
Turner noted that the narrative has shifted from 'wow, it's a woman playing darts against the men' to 'it's just a dart player playing against another dart player'. Greaves' performance, including her stunning win over Littler, has shown that she belongs on the stage competing with the best. She has spoken about helping other women follow her lead, saying, 'It's getting the exposure for the ladies to be able to go and play the bigger players and bigger names on a regular basis.' The 'Battle of the Sexes' phrase has been used in various sports, including tennis, but in darts, women are competing on a level-playing field with men.
Turner wants sports fans to appreciate this aspect of the sport, saying, 'You don't want to shy away from the fact that that person is female because you want the role models for young girls to come through. But you also don't need that to be the only thing that people talk about.' Female players like Greaves, Sherrock, and Ashton have managed to cope with the pressure of being in the spotlight, and Turner credits them for their ability to handle the anxiety and pressure of competing at the top level.