"You can say, ‘yeah, you have to play against a woman’. Yes. So what?" - Van Barneveld expects Greaves to cause ProTour stars problems

Raymond van Barneveld has high hopes for Beau Greaves, who he believes is ready to make a lasting impression on professional darts. The five-time world champion calls the young Englishwoman "an exceptional talent" and does not rule out the possibility of her even getting a spot in Premier League Darts in the future.

The 21-year-old Greaves has been considered the biggest female talent within the PDC for some time. She will make her official debut as a professional darts player next year after conquering a Tour Card for 2026, with which she will structurally participate in the ProTour. For Van Barneveld, her rise is anything but surprising. “First of all, I’m so proud of her, of what she is doing. All these tournaments where she was unbeaten in the Women’s Series.

Barney knows from personal experience how strong Greaves is. “Wow. I played her recently, and you can say, ‘yeah, you have to play against a woman’. Yes. So what? I don’t look at it like that. For me, it’s just a game, and she beat me 6-4.

Greaves also defeated world champion Luke Littler earlier this year in the semifinals of the PDC World Youth Championship, where she decided the match with an impressive 11-darter. “She beat Luke Littler in the semis of the World Youth Championship. That says it all. In the last leg, an 11-dart finish. How great is that?

“And trust me, she’s going to cause really much trouble next year, because I know men, and they don’t like to play a woman.

According to Van Barneveld, this is a mentality issue that will quickly disappear once the top of the men's circuit realizes how good Greaves really is. “To me, that doesn’t matter. No one can say to me, ‘oh, Ray, do you feel ashamed because you lost to a woman?’ Well, try your luck, pal. Try to beat her then’.

“Show me, you know? She beat one guy, Dennie Olde Kalter, 6-0 with a 107 average just before playing me.”

Greaves will make her appearance at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton this weekend. There, she will meet none other than Michael van Gerwen, two-time world champion Gary Anderson and German Niko Springer in the group stage.

Van Barneveld views her third participation in the prestigious tournament with interest. “So yeah, you can say, a woman, but she’s quality. She does her country proud, and her family and herself proud.

“Hopefully, if she does well in the World Championship, I can guarantee you she’ll get a Premier League ticket.”