Women's World Matchplay

Women's World Matchplay
Tournament information
VenueWinter Gardens
LocationBlackpool, England
Established2022
Organisation(s)PDC
FormatLegs
Prize fund£25,000 (2025)
Month(s) PlayedJuly
Current champion(s)
England Lisa Ashton

The Women's World Matchplay is a televised darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the only televised PDC event open exclusively to women. Since its inception in 2022, the Women's World Matchplay has been hosted at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, the same venue as the World Matchplay, which is not restricted to players of one gender.

Format

The tournament is a straight knockout tournament featuring the eight players ranked highest on the Women's World Matchplay Order of Merit, which tracks total prize money earned on the PDC Women's Series over an approximately twelve-month period prior to the event.[1] Matches in the quarter-finals are played over the best of 7 legs, while the semi-finals and final are played over the best of 9 and best of 11 legs respectively.[2] Unlike the World Matchplay, matches do not have to be won by two legs.

History

Following the demise of the British Darts Organisation in 2020, there were few events for women's darts.[3] In response, the PDC established the Women's Series, originally as weekend-long qualifying event as for the PDC World Championship and then as an annual tour from 2021.[4][5] In 2022, to further expand their presence in the women's game, the PDC announced the founding of the Women's World Matchplay. This became the first televised PDC women's tournament (though the final of the one-off 2010 Women's World Darts Championship was televised, also during the World Matchplay).[6][7][8]

The first Women's World Matchplay was won by Fallon Sherrock, who beat Aileen de Graaf 6–3 in a final that had been initially tight before Sherrock was able to pull away. Following the 2022 World Matchplay, Beau Greaves began to play PDC events, winning every post-Matchplay event on the 2022 Women's Series and leading the qualification for the 2023 Women's World Matchplay.[9][10] Greaves lived up to her top seed status by winning the 2023 tournament, comfortably beating Mikuru Suzuki in the final.[11] At the 2023 tournament, Noa-Lynn van Leuven became the first transgender woman to play in a televised darts tournament, but was unable to win a leg, losing to Greaves 4–0 in the quarter-final.[12][13]

In 2024, Greaves became the first player to defend the Women's World Matchplay title, averaging 98.75 in the final to comfortably defeat a valiant Sherrock 6–3.[14] However, she could not repeat the feat in 2025, incurring her first defeat at the Winter Gardens in the semi-final to Lisa Ashton.[15] Ashton would go on to win the tournament in a tense final, surviving 11 match darts thrown by her opponent, Fallon Sherrock.[16]

Finals

Year Winner (average in final) Score Runner-up (average in final) Prize money Venue
Total Winner Runner-up
2022 England Fallon Sherrock (82.14) 6–3 [17] Netherlands Aileen de Graaf (76.30) £25,000 £10,000 £5,000 Winter Gardens, Blackpool
2023 England Beau Greaves (79.85) 6–1 [18] Japan Mikuru Suzuki (72.12)
2024 England Beau Greaves (98.75) 6–3 [19] England Fallon Sherrock (87.60)
2025 England Lisa Ashton (85.49) 6–5 [20] England Fallon Sherrock (89.61)

Records and statistics

Statistics up to and including the 2025 tournament.

Player Apps. Debut W RU SF QF Highest average
England Beau Greaves 3 2023 2 0 1 0 98.75
England Fallon Sherrock 4 2022 1 2 0 1 89.61
England Lisa Ashton 4 2022 1 0 3 0 85.49
Japan Mikuru Suzuki 2 2023 0 1 1 0 92.16
Netherlands Aileen de Graaf 2 2022 0 1 0 1 84.13
Netherlands Noa-Lynn van Leuven 3 2023 0 0 1 2 78.36
England Lorraine Winstanley 2 2022 0 0 1 1 76.93
Republic of Ireland Robyn Byrne 2 2023 0 0 1 1 81.68
Republic of Ireland Katie Sheldon 2 2022 0 0 0 2 73.78
Wales Rhian O'Sullivan 2 2023 0 0 0 2 83.48
Scotland Chloe O'Brien 1 2022 0 0 0 1 61.17
England Laura Turner 1 2022 0 0 0 1 69.84
Wales Rhian Griffiths 1 2022 0 0 0 1 71.26
Authorised Neutral Athletes Anastasia Dobromyslova 1 2024 0 0 0 1 73.22
England Gemma Hayter 1 2025 0 0 0 1 81.29
Finland Kirsi Viinikainen 1 2025 0 0 0 1 73.44

References

  1. ^ "PDC Order of Merit Rules | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Women's World Matchplay Darts: Schedule, draw, dates as Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock, Noa-Lynn van Leuven headline in Blackpool". Sky Sports. 25 July 2025.
  3. ^ Bloom, Ben (14 December 2020). "Women's darts faces uncertain future as Deta Hedman and Lisa Ashton prepare for PDC World Championships". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  4. ^ Gorton, Josh (16 October 2020). "PDC Women's Series: The sport's leading lights get their opportunity to shine". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  5. ^ "PDC Women's Series 2021: 12-event series set to take place, building on success of 2020". Sky Sports. 28 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Women's World Matchplay: PDC to stage first televised women's event in Blackpool". BBC Sport. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Women's World Matchplay: PDC announces first televised women's darts tournament, to be shown live on Sky Sports". Sky Sports. 3 February 2022.
  8. ^ "News | PDC". www.pdc.tv. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  9. ^ Turner, Laura (4 November 2022). "Laura Turner on Beau Greaves and Lisa Ashton's Ally Pally chances, and what's next for Fallon Sherrock?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  10. ^ "2023 Betfred Women's World Matchplay preview". PDC. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  11. ^ Gill, Samuel (23 July 2023). "Glory for Greaves as 19-year-old sensation lives up to favourite tag sealing PDC Women's World Matchplay title in Blackpool". Dartsnews.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  12. ^ Mirza, Raz (21 July 2023). "Women's World Matchplay: Noa-Lynn van Leuven set to be first trans woman to play in a TV darts tournament". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  13. ^ Gill, Samuel (23 July 2023). "Greaves thrashes Van Leuven to open PDC Women's World Matchplay, meets Byrne in semi-finals". Dartsnews.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Women's World Matchplay: Beau Greaves beats Fallon Sherrock to win title but will swerve PDC World Championship". BBC Sport. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  15. ^ Stafford, Ali (27 July 2025). "Women's World Matchplay: Lisa Ashton stuns Beau Greaves and beats Fallon Sherrock in final-leg thriller to win Blackpool title". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Women's World Matchplay 2025: Lisa Ashton beats Fallon Sherrock in thrilling final to win title". BBC Sport. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Results of Women's World Matchplay 2022 - Mastercaller". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Results of Women's World Matchplay 2023 - Mastercaller". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Results of Women's World Matchplay 2024 - Mastercaller". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Results of Women's World Matchplay 2025 - Mastercaller". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
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