"I’ve never wanted to be the ‘star’ of women’s darts - Let Beau Greaves take the attention": Fallon Sherrock embraces rise of another female powerhouse in the PDC

Fallon Sherrock is gearing up for a return to the PDC World Darts Championship, which begins on Thursday 11 December at the Alexandra Palace. The “Queen of the Palace” still cherishes the memories of her breakout run at the 2020 Worlds, where she stunned Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic to become the first woman ever to win a match on that stage against a man.

The Worlds are fast approaching, but before she turns fully towards December, Sherrock reflects on last summer’s Women’s World Matchplay final, where she squandered eleven match darts against Lisa Ashton and eventually lost 6-5. “I think it took about a week before I picked up a dart again,” she admitted in a recent conversation with Online Darts. “Not because I was angry, but because I was just mentally drained.”

She was realistic enough to see the bigger picture. A lack of match sharpness throughout the year, breaks from competition, physical fatigue, fewer tournaments. “I’d just had nowhere near enough competitive match play. Everything came down to that last moment, those last doubles.”

Even so, with some distance, she’s content with what she produced. “I honestly didn’t know if I’d play well or terribly. I was either really good or really bad. But I was actually solid. And that gave me confidence.”

The Women’s Series season is complete, and Sherrock has booked her place at Alexandra Palace for the sixth time. A major achievement, even if some fans act like it’s a given. To her, it certainly isn’t. “Ally Pally is the one thing I really want every year. It’s amazing that I’ve done it again.”

The frustration of not landing another win since her 2019 breakthrough is still there. “I haven’t played badly since then. Sometimes you just need a bit of luck, someone making a mistake so you can pounce at the right moment.”

But she’s determined to push again. “With all the training I’m going to put in, I’m hoping I can win on that stage again this year. It’s such an unbelievable feeling.”

Her return to the Women’s Super Series helped rebuild belief. “The results weren’t spectacular, but I felt stable. I hit a ton average, had some strong matches… that tells you your game is still there.”

She’s carrying that into December. “I’ve kept the whole month free to prepare properly. A bit of rest, no commitments, then full focus on the Worlds.”

Since her historic 2020 run, expectations have followed her everywhere. Everyone knows Fallon Sherrock. Everyone expects something from her. She doesn’t carry that weight in the same way anymore.

“There’s always pressure because people think ‘Fallon is Fallon, she’ll deliver.’ But I’ve learned to let that go. If I win, brilliant. If I lose, I’ve still got fans who support me.”

Last year, she could have set up a second-round meeting with Luke Littler if she had beaten Ryan Meikle. It didn’t happen. “Everyone was already talking about that possible game, but Ryan is a fantastic player. I was disappointed, of course, but you can’t ignore your opponent.”

This year’s Worlds will feature five women, a record – and a vital step forward for the sport. Sherrock is proud. “It’s probably the best five women we’ve got right now. This is exactly what we need: more TV spots, more visibility.”

She says the women’s circuit has developed huge depth. “Since 2020 everything has changed: Women’s Matchplay, Women’s Series… it all comes from opportunities. The more opportunities you give, the more players will grow.”

She laughs when asked about the huge spotlight now following Beau Greaves. The young world champion and Tour Card holder is the name everyone’s talking about, and Sherrock genuinely doesn’t mind.

“I’ve never been someone who wanted to be the ‘star’ of women’s darts. I’d rather stay under the radar. Let Beau take the attention. It takes pressure off me.”

From her iconic run at the Worlds to reaching the Grand Slam quarter-finals and nearly giving Peter Wright a sleepless night, Sherrock has achieved more than many players will in a lifetime. But she’s rarely stopped to appreciate it. “I never look back. I’m always thinking about what I need to do next year. But really, I should look back. It would give me confidence: you’ve done it before, you can do it again.”

As the mother of Rory, juggling travel, playing and media commitments isn’t simple. “It’s constant balancing. Everyone at school talks about his mum and he sometimes finds it annoying,” she laughs. “But it makes me proud that he understands what I do.”

Q-School 2026 will take place in Milton Keynes, just ten minutes from her home, and she’ll get free entry thanks to the Women’s Series. Will she go? “Yes, I’m going. But with no expectations at all. I don’t even know exactly what I want next year. I’ll just play it and see what happens.”

She’s not ruling out the Challenge Tour either. “It would help me, but it depends on my health. This year I didn’t feel good enough, and there’s no point playing if you’re not right.”

Despite the uncertainty around her plans, there’s one thing she does not doubt. “With all my experience, I honestly think I can become better than the Fallon who made history at the 2020 World Championship.”