Beau Greaves, the darts prodigy poised to redefine women’s place in the sport

In the high-stakes world of professional darts, where precision meets psychological warfare under the glare of arena spotlights, few stories capture the imagination quite like that of Beau Greaves.

At just 21, this unassuming talent from Britain has already etched her name into the sport’s history. 

Nicknamed “Beau ‘n’ Arrow”, Greaves is not just dominating the women’s circuit – she is knocking on the door of the men’s elite. Her latest triumph? A stunning upset over teenage sensation Luke Littler in the World Youth Championship on Oct 13, as she became the first woman to reach the final of the tournament.

Born and raised in the steel-hearted town of Doncaster, darts entered Greaves’ life not through academies or coaching, but via a simple dartboard mounted in her older brother Taylor’s bedroom. 

As a child, she would join him for casual games, and it quickly blossomed into something extraordinary. By age 10, she was already turning heads.

One of the earliest indicators of her prodigious talent came at just 11 years old, when Greaves accompanied her mother on a trip to Jersey for a tournament. 

There, in front of seasoned competitors, she dismantled two of the top names in women’s darts – Lisa Ashton and Deta Hedman. Hedman, a three-time women’s world championship runner-up who has played darts with Greaves since she was 10, still recalls that day vividly.

“When she was 11, she went to Jersey with her mum and I remember her beating top women’s player Lisa Ashton and me,” Hedman, 65, told the BBC. “Even then, I knew she was someone very special.”

An 11-year-old taking down professionals? That was not luck – it was the arrival of a generational talent.

Her trajectory only accelerated from there. 

Greaves’ professional breakthrough arrived in 2022, when she earned a spot at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace – a venue synonymous with darts immortality. 

Debuting against the men, she faced a steep learning curve, ultimately falling short when she lost 3-0 to William O’Connor in the first round.

That experience, however, was not a setback.

PDC rules at the time prohibited players from competing in both the women’s and main men’s events in the same season, forcing Greaves to choose her path.

Opting to build her dominance in the women’s game, she channelled her energies into the PDC Women’s Series, where her results have been nothing short of biblical.

To date, she has strung together an astonishing 58 consecutive wins across nine straight event victories.

Her accolades in the women’s domain are already legendary. Greaves is a three-time World Darts Federation (WDF) women’s world champion following her 2023 wins in the singles, pairs and overall.

She has also claimed the Women’s World Matchplay crown twice.

In women’s competitions, as Hedman put it bluntly to the BBC: “I’ve not seen another woman who can play darts like Beau can – she’s such a natural. If Beau is in a competition with the rest of the women, normally we are playing for second place.”

Yet, it is her forays into mixed-gender events that truly electrify the narrative. In February 2025, Greaves made history at the UK Open, becoming the first woman to advance to the fourth round. 

There, she pushed world No. 1 Luke Humphries to the brink, leading 7-5 before succumbing 10-7. The 30-year-old was effusive in his praise afterwards.

Speaking to the BBC, he described her as “an amazing player” who “deserves it”, predicting a bright future.

“She’ll be a real threat going forward for all the players. Not just for me but for everyone,” he said.

“I think she’ll do really well. If she’s relaxed and she’s got no pressure on her shoulders, yes, I believe she will be top 64 within the two years for sure.”

The pinnacle of this cross-gender challenge came earlier this week.

Facing off in the semi-finals of the World Youth Championship, Greaves met Littler, the 18-year-old who had, the day prior, clinched his seventh major title at the World Grand Prix by defeating Humphries.

Littler, often called “The Nuke” for his explosive talent, was the favourite. But Greaves, unfazed, traded blows in a thriller that went to a decider. With Littler posting a blistering 107.4 average to her 105, it was Greaves who clinched victory. Littler, gracious in defeat, simply called her “some talent” in an Instagram post.

Some had questioned that Littler’s participation in a youth event – despite his professional status – was unfair to junior players. But he had every right to compete in the World Youth Championship as the competition is open to players aged between 16 and 24 – as confirmed by both the BBC and Sky Sports.

It did not matter to Greaves. More poignantly, victory came from a player who, just months earlier in July, had voiced profound scepticism about women competing against the men’s elite. 

“Men’s and ladies’ darts should be separate,” she told the BBC at the time. “I just don’t think we will ever be good enough to play against the likes of Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen or Littler.”

She elaborated on her reluctance for mixed events like the Grand Slam, saying: “When I go to the Grand Slam, I don’t look forward to it because I know I have got to play men. I don’t fancy my chances at all – I am just realistic.”

But Hedman sees beyond the doubts. 

“It was no surprise to me,” she said of the win over Littler, per the BBC.

“Once in a while, you have a talent that comes through like you had Luke, and Beau is now showing what she can do. Nothing seems to faze her at all and she just does her thing, that’s what I love. When she is on that oche, she is just another being.”

It is this unflappable demeanour that has propelled Greaves to where she is today, but bigger tests await.

She will face defending champion Gian van Veen of the Netherlands in the World Youth Championship final in November and a potential rematch with Littler at the Grand Slam in the same month.

With a professional tour card on the horizon, Greaves is also poised to join the PDC Pro Tour full time.

Hedman believes that Greaves can compete at the highest level.

“I do believe Beau will do some damage. Some men do not like playing women even in this day and age as there’s more pressure,” she said. “Whether she will ever win one of the big majors remains to be seen. She has the game to beat them.”

What makes Greaves’ story so compelling is not just the stats, though her 58-match streak and three world titles are more than just impressive.

It is the contrast – a sweet, unpretentious 21-year-old from Doncaster, who started with a bedroom board and now eyes the sport’s summit. As Hedman noted, some men still bristle at facing women due to the added pressure, but Greaves plays on, arrow-straight.