Beau Greaves is writing her name in the history books of the darts tour. She has become the first woman to win an open PDC tournament, thereby disproving her own earlier assertion.
Beau Greaves struggled to find words. «This is a complete shock right now,» the 22-year-old said tearfully, shortly after achieving a historic feat as the first woman to win an open tournament on the PDC Tour in the darts universe. The English player made history in Milton Keynes, overcoming her own previous doubts.
As recently as 2024, she had stated that women could «never compete with the men.» She «just didn’t think we would ever be good enough to step up against players like Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Luke Littler.» How wrong she was. In the Players Championship event, Greaves fought her way to the final – in a setting that was as unusual as it was subdued. The match was played in a darkened room, without an audience, far from the main stage. It was precisely there that she achieved her triumph: in the deciding leg, Greaves kept her nerve against her former idol Michael Smith, securing a spectacular 8:7 victory with a remarkable 142 checkout. Her compatriot, a former world champion, congratulated her with a kiss on the cheek.
«I can’t believe it, I’m so proud,» Greaves expressed. She admitted that the start of the year had been difficult for her, making this victory even more satisfying. On her path to the title, she defeated several top players, including two other former world champions: Rob Cross (England) and Gary Anderson (Scotland), whom she dominated 7:1 in the semi-finals. «I’m beating players I used to watch as a kid,» she said in disbelief, «hopefully I can keep this going.»
Greaves Has Defeated Littler Twice
Greaves’ triumph isn’t out of the blue. She had already caused a stir previously: in 2025, she defeated World Champion Luke Littler twice – earning her the nickname ‘Lady Littler’. Furthermore, in February, she achieved the distinction of being the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish on the PDC Tour. Due to her strong performance this year, the British player is currently ranked fifth in the Players Championship standings after her victory on Monday.
Greaves has been dominating women’s darts for years. She was crowned World Champion in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and participated in the PDC World Championship at the legendary Ally Pally in 2023 and 2026, although she was eliminated in the first round on both occasions. Much indicates that she will be able to advance further in London soon. «Now I have to follow up and keep going,» Greaves stated.