After becoming the first woman ever to win a PDC ranking title, Beau Greaves is already being backed for even bigger breakthroughs in the men’s game, with Mark Webster declaring the 21-year-old “the best female darts player ever”. Greaves made history with victory at Players Championship 11 after defeating former world champion Michael Smith 8-7 in a dramatic final. The title run also included victories over Rob Cross and Gary Anderson, underlining the level she is now producing against elite opposition.
For Webster, however, the title itself was not the surprise. The bigger question now is how much further Greaves can still go. “Beau is already the best female darts player ever by a fair way,” the former Lakeside champion told Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast. “What she's achieved in a relatively small space of time, winning title after title, and now already won a PDC event.” Greaves’ Players Championship triumph was only the latest landmark in a remarkable 2026 campaign. Earlier this year she became the first woman to hit a nine-darter on the ProTour, following a 2025 that saw her secure a PDC Tour Card through the Development Tour, and reach the final of the World Youth Championship after defeating Luke Littler in the semi-finals.
Webster also believes Greaves is capable of making an immediate impact when she steps onto the sport’s biggest stages later this season. “We're talking about her qualifying for majors and not just qualifying, but making an impact,” says the Welshman. “She's made a huge impact already and she's going from strength to strength.” Comparisons have naturally been drawn with Lisa Ashton, the first woman to earn a PDC Tour Card. Ashton broke important ground during her own career, but Greaves’ scoring power and consistency are already leading many within the sport to believe she can push further than any female player before her.
Former Tour Card holder Matthew Edgar was equally clear that Greaves’ Players Championship title came as no shock to those closely following her rise. “I'm not as overwhelmed by this as the reaction has been,” Edgar explained. “To me, this always felt like when rather than if. It felt inevitable that she'd win a Pro Tour title. I'll be more 'wow' if she picks up a European Tour or a major.” “I don't think winning a ProTour will be crowning moment, her defining moment. There's more in the future for Beau Greaves and I'm not getting too carried away with it for that reason,” Edgar adds.
Whether that next breakthrough comes on the Euro Tour or a televised major stage later this season, Greaves’ Players Championship triumph has already pushed the conversation around women’s darts forward once again. The question is no longer whether she belongs at this level, but how much further she can still go.
