Women’s World Matchplay 2026: Preview, Draw, Prize Money, Format and TV Guide - Beau Greaves favourite to regain title, headlines with Fallon Sherrock, Lisa Ashton
PDCFriday, 24 July 2026 at 19:57
The Women's World Matchplay will be hosted on Sunday 26th July with the winner receiving £15,000 and takes place in the afternoon session before the World Matchplay final on Sunday night.
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Lisa Ashton is the defending champion and will be hoping her return to the Winter Gardens in Blackpool is another triumphant one. She stunned two-time winner Beau Greaves enroute to lifting the title, defeating Fallon Sherrock 6-5 in the final.
Both Greaves and Sherrock return as part of a star-studded lineup who will battle for one of the most coveted prizes in women's darts.
Women's World Matchplay Draw: Who has Greaves, Ashton, Sherrock got?
| Quarter-Final | Player 1 | v | Player 2 |
| QF1 | Beau Greaves (1) | v | Kirsi Viinikainen (8) |
| QF2 | Gemma Hayter (4) | v | Vicky Pruim (5) |
| QF3 | Lisa Ashton (2) | v | Rhian O'Sullivan (7) |
| QF4 | Fallon Sherrock (3) | v | Deta Hedman (6) |
Women's World Matchplay Preview - Can Greaves be stopped?
The field is consisted of the top eight players from the 12-month rolling Women’s Series rankings since last July. There is little surprise that the winning machine Greaves tops that by some margin. She heads to Blackpool as the number one seed. However, she is not the reigning champion.
Ashton produced the good last year in a marvellous title triumph. The Lancashire darter returns with one aim: to retain that title. She is the second seed for this event and will start her title defence against Irishwoman Rhian O'Sullivan who is making her third appearance in the showpiece event.
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As for Greaves, she wants revenge. The 2023 and 2024 champion has grown into the dominant force on the Women's Series, amassing a number of titles with some delightful darts, winning 114 consecutive matches on the Women's Series between April 2025 and March 2026. She will be very much motivated to regain her title, and in a noticeable fashion.
Now a fully-fledged member of the PDC Tour with a Players Championship title under her belt, she is the favourite for glory. It is an ominous test for the number eight seed Kirsi Viinikainen who succumbed to defeat this stage last year to 'Beau 'n' Arrow' but will hope her fortunes change this time around.
Beau Greaves will challenge for a third Women's World Matchplay title
Sherrock has a very promising record at the Winter Gardens. She won the inaugural event back in 2022 before an exit in the quarter-final was a bitter disappointment. Two final defeats on the spin have left her motivated and hungry to go one step further.
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She has been drawn against debutant Deta Hedman. The WDF world champion clinched a second Women's Series title last month which was enough to see her get the chance to compete at the Winter Gardens as she continues to grow her vast darting CV.
Gemma Hayter also returns to the action. Her task is another debutant in the form of Sweden's Vicky Pruim. A possible semi-final clash against Greaves could be their reward.
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Format Women's World Matchplay 2026
The Quarter-Finals will be best of nine legs, the same for the semi-finals. It goes up to best of 11 legs in the final. In the first two rounds as a results, it is first to five and in the final, it will be first to six legs.
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| Round | Best of (legs) |
| Quarter-Finals | 9 legs |
| Semi-Finals | 9 legs |
| Final | 11 legs |
Prize Money Women's World Matchplay - how much does the winner earn?
The winner will earn £15,000 for winning the title, while the runner-up seals £8,000. The semi-finalists all claim £4,500 and Quarter-Finalists by playing at all in this tournament seal £2,000.
On top of the £15,000, raised from £10,000, that could be won, the champion will also secure a spot in the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts. A tantalising prospect for the person who takes advantage. The format is best of nine legs for the quarter-final and semi-final, with the final going up to best of 11.
| Position | Number of Players | Prize Money |
| Winner | 1 | £15,000 |
| Runner-up | 1 | £8,000 |
| Semi-finalists | 2 | £4,500 |
| Quarter-finalists | 4 | £2,000 |
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How to watch Women's World Matchplay?
| Date | Event | Broadcaster | Time (BST) |
| Sun 26 July | Women's World Matchplay | Sky Sports Action | 13:00 - 17:00 |
The tournament will be shown at least in the UK on Sky Sports Action in the UK from 1pm on Sunday afternoon before the main event of the men's final from 19:30 on Sunday afternoon.
It will also be shown on the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay and on PDCTV excluding subscribers based in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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