“I won’t be looking forward to playing Beau Greaves – she’s probably better than most lads on tour”: Dave Chisnall praises women’s world champion

As the 2025 darts season races toward its dramatic conclusion, Beau Greaves continues to be the story everyone in the sport is talking about. From rewriting history in the World Youth Championship to extending her record-breaking Women’s Series dominance, the darting sensation is now set to take on the PDC full-time — and has earned high praise from a player who knows all about the pressure of the top level: Dave Chisnall.

“It shouldn’t be downplayed just what an achievement it is by Beau Greaves to get her Tour Card next season,” said Chisnall in his latest Kwiff blog. “The 3x Lakeside Women’s Champion has been at a top class level for years now and it’s great for the sport to have her on the PDC circuit next season – I won’t be looking forward to playing her – let me tell you! She’ll do well too, and is probably better than most of the lads on the tour.”

Chisnall’s words come off the back of another historic milestone for the all-conquering women's world champion thrower. Greaves became the first woman ever to reach the final of the PDC World Youth Championship, having edged out Luke Littler in a semi-final that saw her average over 105. The performance lit up social media and sent a clear message to the rest of the circuit — she’s not just here to make up the numbers.

The 21-year-old has also torn through the 2025 Women’s Series, extending her unbeaten streak to 86 consecutive matches after a double-event win in Wigan earlier this month. She’s now claimed 13 successive Women’s Series titles and secured a 2026–27 PDC Tour Card via the Development Tour Order of Merit, having finished runner-up thanks to three event wins. With Chisnall himself now preparing for Alexandra Palace, he’s clearly taking note of the names likely to appear in next year’s Pro Tour draws — and Greaves is very much one of them.

Chisnall’s own campaign has been far from straightforward, as he openly admits. A season riddled with near misses and high-quality opposition has seen the former Euro Tour Player of the Year struggle for rhythm — especially on the European circuit.

“I’m on a horrendous run – losing I think 8 consecutive games now on the tour – which commentators and people on social media like to remind me of every time it grows a bit longer,” Chisnall wrote, ahead of the final European Tour stop in Hildesheim. “I haven’t half ran into players this season… Hurricane Barney in Budapest with Raymond averaging 107, and then Luke Woodhouse averaging 109 against me the week after. What do you do? There’s no point sulking, you’ve got to shake the man’s hand and move onto next week.”

And to his credit — move on he did. At the 2025 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Championship, Chisnall snapped that losing streak with an opening round win over Gabriel Clemens, then took a convincing 6–2 win over Ricky Evans before bowing out narrowly in the quarter-finals to Krzysztof Ratajski, 6–5. It was a promising run in a stacked field, eventually won by Nathan Aspinall.

It came off the back of what Chisnall described as a “positive” Pro Tour week in Wigan, despite being on the wrong end of a scoring miscommunication in a tight match against Wessel Nijman.

“At 3-2 v Wessel Nijman and throwing for tops I crept into the wrong bed and hit Double 5. I asked the scorer what it was in and he said ‘5’ and it wasn’t until I hit single 3 (to leave Double 16) did he tell me it was in fact in the double… These things happen, and it’s nobody’s fault but it’s one of them where when it’s not going for you, it just isn’t going for you.”

Even so, the St Helens veteran remains in the top 20 on the Order of Merit and is looking ahead positively. “Despite a poor season I’ve still qualified for the Players Championship finals, which is no small feat… I’ve got to a final and a semi-final… I’m chomping at the bit already for the Worlds at Ally Pally and fly into next season.”

With the sport’s crown jewel just around the corner, both Greaves and Chisnall are likely to be on the Alexandra Palace stage — albeit at very different points in their darting journeys.

For Chisnall, it’s a chance to rediscover form and reassert himself among the game’s elite. For Greaves, it could be another historic proving ground in what’s rapidly becoming the most exciting breakout campaign in modern darts history.

But one thing is clear — when someone as experienced as Dave Chisnall is wary of drawing you in a tour match, you’ve already made your mark.