"I am leaning towards one more than the other, it's obvious what it is": Beau Greaves hints at leaving Lakeside behind for Ally Pally

Beau Greaves insists she’s not yet made up her mind about where her season will end — but admits the direction she’s heading in might not be much of a mystery as she spoke to the media pre Women's World Matchplay including DartsNews.

“I could make a decision now,” she said, when asked whether she'll play in the PDC World Championship or return to the WDF’s Lakeside event. “But I could change my mind tomorrow. Obviously, I am leaning towards one or the other — it’s probably obvious what it is. But it’s like, I don’t know. I’ve changed my mind years before. I chose Lakeside when I said I would say Ally Pally.”

Greaves has become the undisputed queen of Lakeside, lifting the WDF world title three times in a row. That dominance makes her hesitations understandable. “It’s tough. It’s a lot for me to throw away as such because I’ve won three on the trot now and I’d like to go back. But it’s not the same as it was a few years ago.”

The emotional connection to Frimley Green remains strong. “I really enjoy Lakeside. That’s what sometimes keeps me going back — because I like the tournament. I like being a part of it,” she said. “But we’ll see. I’ve still got a long time to wait before those months come around. But yeah, it’ll definitely be on my mind.”

Greaves made her Ally Pally debut in 2023 but admitted it didn’t live up to her own expectations — not because of the tournament, but due to nerves. “When I played Ally Pally the other year, whenever it was, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. But I think that’s because I’d never done it before and I liked Lakeside so much. I think I was so nervous and I just looked terrified on the stage at Ally Pally. So yeah, I would be completely different now. Obviously, that is something I will want to do at some point — whether it’s this year or in the years to come.”

The indecision may not last much longer, though. “I have to make a decision at some point. I think it’ll be soon. So yeah, whenever I do that, I’ll let you know.”

Greaves returns to Blackpool this week as defending champion at the Women’s World Matchplay, where she’s already lifted the title twice. She’s hoping for a third straight win — but knows nothing is guaranteed.

“Yeah, feeling good,” she said ahead of her opener. “I'm excited as well. It’s always nice to come back and I look forward to playing, getting ready for tomorrow. It should be a really good day.”

Asked what a third successive title would mean, she was clear: “Yeah, it’d be great. Obviously, it’s something that I want to deal with, that I’ve been hoping to do. And yeah, it’d just be nice to dominate, I suppose, for a third time. But like I say, it’s always a new year and it’s tough to… Sometimes things don’t always go to plan. But yeah, I’ll be ready for it and obviously I’ll be trying to do my best.”

Greaves has gone all-in on the PDC calendar this year, playing across the Development Tour, Challenge Tour, and Women’s Series. That hasn’t left much time for WDF events — and she admits it’s been a conscious shift in focus.

“Sort of,” she said. “But the WDF tour hasn’t been as busy as it has been in previous years, so… and obviously if a PDC weekend drops on a WDF, I will choose the PDC one. So it’s just been like, that’s what I’ve set my mind to. I’ve wanted to do most of the tournaments, the weekends and stuff.”

“Yeah, it’s just been unfortunate that there hasn’t been as many comps as I’d like on the WDF side. But it’s been alright. I’ve still played a lot of darts. So yeah, I’m about playing as much as possible. So yeah, it’s alright.”

The decision may be rewarded — the PDC confirmed an additional Ally Pally spot for women this year, along with increased prize money "I don’t know yet,” she said when asked if she’ll take the spot. “I’m not really thinking about it now. Obviously, I’d like to think about this and play this, and Grand Slam and stuff. But like I say, I have to make a decision at some point. I think it’ll be soon.”

“How many ladies is it now in Ally Pally?” she asked. “Four,” came the reply. “That’s good, yeah. Like I said, I enjoy both tournaments, so I’m going to see whatever I can see.”

Despite having achieved everything there is to win in the women’s game, Greaves says her motivation remains simple: she loves playing.

“I just like playing. I just like to win. I enjoy playing, I enjoy the tours, I enjoy the people on the tours as well — so that’s nice, obviously. I just want to push myself and see what happens. Because I like playing, I don’t get bored. I just enjoy each tournament that comes up.”

This season has also included appearances on the Pro Tour, where she continues to test herself against the wider men’s field. “Obviously, they’re hard. I’ve won a couple of games, I’ve played well, I’ve played poor in patches. But like I say, because I don’t have a tour card, I haven’t been as keen to play them a lot. But I didn’t mind them. It’s a bit different to what I’m normally used to playing. But if I am to get a tour card, I’ll have to get used to it. They’re nice to dip your foot in and see how you get on with them.”

Greaves recently signed with Target Darts and has begun using a new set of darts this season — part of a new era that she says has refreshed her game and boosted her confidence.

“Yeah, it’s great. Obviously, signing with Target was a big step for me. I’ve played darts for ages now. It’s nice to have someone recognise you and want to promote you and do really well for you. That was really nice.”

“New darts as well — I’m still getting used to them. But I did well with them at the last Women's Series. Hopefully tomorrow it will go well for me.”

Asked how much input she had on her overall presentation and shirt design, Greaves smiled: “Yeah, pretty much all of it. I was probably a bit of a pain because I had such simple shirts. I literally had nothing on them. And that’s how I liked it. Obviously, Target’s a brand and they want to give you an image and stuff. That’s something I had to make a decision on — to try and have something as simple as possible but that I was also comfortable wearing. So yeah, they were great. They let me have what I wanted. And the darts as well — great. I was really happy. I was really pleased. It was completely brand new for me because I’d never had a company to really have that freedom with. That was nice, yeah.”

So what inspired the final design? “Well, I feel a bit embarrassed in saying it,” she said, laughing. “But when I was designing the shirt, they did design me something and I wasn’t really keen on it. And then I sort of had to give them an image, a thing to go off. And when I was younger, I absolutely loved Power Rangers. So that’s sort of what I went with. It was something that I just wanted subtly in it, and that was how it came about. And I ended up being really happy with it. So yeah, it was a bit silly, but that’s what I liked.”

Greaves has been getting used to the televised stage this year — and says the Grand Slam and World Matchplay still feel different from anything else.

“Yeah, I think even though I’ve played at the Grand Slam twice and here twice, the throw on the stage feels a little bit different to me. So I’m still getting used to that. But I look forward to it. To play on telly for the ladies is really good. I hope we all play well. It’s just about getting used to the stage and that, because it just feels completely different to playing on the floor. I look forward to that — to the Grand Slam when it comes up. Seeing our players is always exciting.”

In the opening round at Blackpool, she faces Finland’s Kirsi Viinikainen — a familiar opponent. “It’s a lot shorter format than what we did play. We’ve played each other a lot of times. She’s a great player, obviously. I know I need to play well to beat her. But I’m looking forward to that challenge. Obviously, she’s a great player and we get along well. So it’ll be a nice game to play.”

Greaves also reflected on her standout moment earlier this year — nearly beating world number one Luke Humphries at the UK Open.

“I don’t know — it’s not as scary as you think,” she said. “Probably going up and playing someone that standard, I thought I’d be really nervous, but I wasn’t. I’d played three games up to that point, I was well warmed up and I was into the day and it was nice. And I probably just learnt that I’m longer format, so I need to be better at it. I completely fell off at the last stage of the match and obviously then he won. It was a nice game to be a part of. I absolutely loved it. It was good fun. I look back on it now and think how much I enjoyed that.”

Whatever Greaves decides — Ally Pally or Lakeside — she’s already achieved more than most in the sport, and still looks hungry for more.

“I enjoy it a lot more now than I did before,” she said. “But that’s because I’m playing a lot more against them — some good results as well. I used to not look forward to them. It used to be a chore to go. But now I’m excited to go away and push myself. Obviously, winning the Dev Tours and Challenge Tours has been a really big achievement for me. I actually quite enjoy it now.”