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 shift in focus raises questions about whether the emphasis on her gender has a detrimental effect on Greaves' long-term prospects in the sport.
According to Laura Turner, a 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 reflects on the trailblazing exploits of players prior to Greaves, including Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, and Anastasia Dobromyslova, who paved the way for women in darts. Greaves has exploded onto the darts scene with three consecutive WDF World Darts Championships and a two-time Women's World Matchplay champion. Before Greaves, these women were often defined by their gender, but now the narrative is changing. As Turner notes, 'It was just phenomenal darts when she won in that semi-final against Luke Littler for Beau Greaves and there was nothing more really that needed to be said other than the world No 1 and the world champion had just been knocked out.' Greaves has spoken about her initial doubts about competing against men in the PDC World Championship, but now, with two appearances at the Alexandra Palace behind her and earning her PDC ProTour card on merit, she has confidence in her abilities.
She aims to help 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 seen a resurgence in recent months, particularly with Aryna Sabalenka's tennis exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios. However, in darts, women are competing against men on a level playing field, and Turner wants sports fans to appreciate this. '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 resilience.
Greaves has spoken openly about her struggles with dartitis, a psychological condition that can impact a player's performance. Despite this, she remains grounded, keeping her family network around her, which helps her stay focused on her game. As the darts world looks to the future, Greaves is poised to make a significant impact, and her story serves as an inspiration to young girls and women in the sport.