World Darts Championship: Beau Greaves says 'my whole perspective has changed - I have to believe I can win it all'
Beau Greaves speaks to media ahead of facing Daryl Gurney in one of the standout ties of the World Darts Championship first round on Friday; watch every session of World Championship live on Sky Sports Darts
Tuesday 16 December 2025 18:16, UK
Three-time women's world champion Beau Greaves takes on World Cup winner Daryl Gurney in the first round of the World Darts Championship on Friday, and the 21-year-old now has a growing belief to match her obvious talent.
Last year, Greaves declined to take her place in the World Darts Championship, instead focusing on winning a third WDF Women's World Championship title in a row, stating in October 2024: "People know I'm not keen on playing the lads on telly. I just don't feel as if I can win it."
She added at the time: "People say I'm stubborn, but I know how good I can be and what I'm like most of the time. It's about that consistency and most of the ladies don't have the consistency to compete with the men."
Fast forward a year and Greaves is taking her place in the 2025 World Championship, having given Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson a run for their money in the recent Grand Slam of Darts. She will provide a test for Northern Irishman Gurney.
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Allied to talent, Greaves now has belief and confidence like never before in her career.
"You have to go into the competition believing or else there's no point being there," Greaves told media. "I've kind of changed my whole perspective on it a little bit.
"I still think it's incredibly hard to play against them [male players] on the big stage and be really competitive, but what I sort of realised is that I wanted to have a tour card, and at the time [of previous comments] I didn't really want that. I just wanted to be a ladies darts player.
"As I proved myself wrong and started playing a bit better and beating better players I thought: 'Oh maybe I can be good enough to do this full time.'
"I said differently but I only said that stuff as well because I know a lot of the ladies aren't interested in playing the men, so I think that came from that as well.
"At the time I didn't really play with a lot of confidence either. I didn't really believe in myself that much so it was a negative interview, but I have proven myself wrong a little bit and changed my mind.
"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. It's why maybe we don't play as well against the men when it comes to the World Championship, Grand Slam and stuff because it's two chances you get a year to do it and you're thrown in there a little bit.
"It's always strange people talking about you and being in the limelight but it's nice, it's positive and I'm looking forward to playing. I'm just trying to take it all in my stride and focus on the darts."
Asked if now she believed a woman's name could be on the World Championship trophy one day, Greaves said 'never say never.'
"I don't think it's impossible, I just think it's probably going to take an extremely good run from one of us," she said.
"I think all the ladies playing have got the game to do it, it's just doing it consistently over a long format as well is probably something we're going to have to get used to.
"I think that kind of puts a stop on it a little bit but you never say never. I can't imagine it'll happen soon but you never know."
Can Greaves follow in the footsteps of Sherrock?
Greaves has made serious waves since making her PDC women's debut in 2023 with Wayne Mardle calling her "world class". Sky Sports pundit Laura Turner is hopeful Greaves can follow in the footsteps of history-maker Fallon Sherrock, who became the first female player to win a match at the Alexandra Palace tournament in 2019.
"We know she's got the calibre to get past anyone," Turner said. "You only have to look at the recent World Championship, the Youth World Championships. She's beaten Luke Littler in the semi-finals 6-5. Luke Littler, the world No 1!
"She had a deep run in the UK Open as well, beating ProTour players, running Luke Humphries close in a longer-length format. So she has most definitely got the game, but you can't write off Gurney either. He is a proven major champion.
"This is one that could go either way. Obviously, I'm hopeful that Beau can follow in the footsteps of Fallon because we know she's got the potential to go really far, and I genuinely believe that.
"I can't wait for her to do the ProTour next year, but this is not an easy first round for either of them.
"We saw her move into doing the Development Tour, doing the Challenger Tour, picking up titles on the floor, qualifying for the Grand Slam, absolutely obliterating most players in the Women's Series. She's on an 86 consecutive win streak when it comes to that as well.
"She's done it incrementally since struggling with dartitis a few years back. That's a distant memory now and she's just built herself up and up. I think the way she's done it, there's a lot to be admired. There's a lot of players who are younger now who feel like you have to race into getting to the very top of the game because you've seen the likes of a Luke Littler do it. Beau's done it gradually and she's done it to suit her situation. And I think it's great - I can't wait till next year!"
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