Fallon Sherrock
Fallon Sherrock (Credit Sven Mandel via Wikipedia)

Many sports offer increasingly equal opportunities to men and women in terms of the financial rewards on offer and also in terms of the media coverage they receive and the prestige they offer. Some are far better at it than others, with tennis, and track and field leading the way, and the likes of golf, football and cricket also doing well. Top female footballers, golfers and cricketers do not earn as much as their male counterparts but they can now at least earn a very decent living doing the thing they love.

Some other sports have lagged behind this progress towards equality and darts definitely falls into that category. The 2026 world champion in the mixed event, Luke Littler, won a cool £1m for his triumph at Ally Pally. In contrast, Deta Hedman, who won the most recent edition of the women’s equivalent, was rewarded with £25,000.

However, darts differs to many other sports, such as rugby, football or boxing, to name just three. It is far less physical – indeed, some question whether it is even a sport – and so consequently the advantage that men have through being naturally bigger, stronger and faster is of far less benefit. It is, like snooker, horse-based sports and, perhaps less obviously, ultra-running, a sport where men and women can compete directly against each other.

When it comes to that, Milton Keynes’ Fallon Sherrock is very much a pioneer. The incredible Beau Greaves, who is 10 years younger, may well eclipse Sherrock, if she hasn’t already, but the Doncaster lass is very much where she is because of what Sherrock achieved before her.

Who Is Fallon Sherrock?


Before we look at her role as a pioneer in women’s darts, let’s start with a brief profile of the woman nicknamed the “Queen of the Palace”. Born on the 2nd of July 1994, both of her parents played darts, albeit recreationally. By the age of 17 the daughter of Sue and Steve was representing her county, Buckinghamshire, at youth level. The right-hander, who walks on to Katy Perry’s pop banger (if we’re being generous!) Last Friday Night (TGIF), went on to represent England at that level and also landed the Girls World Masters in 2012.

Starting Her Darts Career

She studied her A-levels with a view to reading forensic science but decided to pursue darts instead saying that “apart from the (scene of crime officer) suits” she preferred it. At the age of 21, in 2014, she gave birth to her son, Rory, and while the early years were a struggle financially, she has been able to make a living playing darts. That would probably have seemed impossible to many, but Sherrock has been impressed by the increasing gender blindness within the sport she loves.

She has a twin sister, Felicia, who was also a talented darts player. She represented England as a youth too, the twins playing alongside each other for England at the WDF Europe Cup in 2011. Fallon was made an MBE in the 2023 Birthday Honours for her services to darts and she has undoubtedly helped open the door for Greaves and others.

Health Issues

She has long struggled with kidney issues, developing a problem with her immune system after the birth of her son. In 2017 it got a lot worse and her kidney function diminished to such an extent that she was close to needing dialysis. In mid-2025 it was reported that she would be having an extended break from the game, possibly spanning all of 2026, to focus on her health.

However, thankfully it seems that was misreported, with a year out actually being a “worst case scenario”. Her health is better than was feared and she said “In a previous interview, I did say that it was a case of ‘IF’ I had to take a year off, and it got blown out of proportion.” In the end, she has been able to compete regularly during 2026, focussing on the PDC Women’s Series.

Sherrock: History Maker, Record Breaker and Pioneer


Sherrock really burst into public consciousness, beyond the world of hardcore darts fans, in December 2019. At the PDC World Championships (mixed) she made history by becoming the first woman to win a match at what is dart’s biggest, richest and unquestionably premier tournament.

England’s Ted Evetts was the man on the wrong side of that piece of history, although he may enjoy being immortalised through the medium of becoming the answer to a quiz question. What’s more, he did not have long to wait before there was another man to have been beaten by a woman at the PDC. Sherrock, who beat Evetts 3-2, then beat Serbia-born Mensur Suljović 3-1 in the second round. Suljović was the 11th seed, so this was a truly stunning result that shook the world of darts.

The darting trailblazer performed admirably in the third round too but was beaten 4-2 by Chris Dobey, who was seeded 22nd. Even so, it was an amazing outcome for both Sherrock and women’s darts, redefining what was possible at the top end of the sport.

The Milton Keynes ace was not the first woman to compete at the PDC World Darts Championship, far from it. That had been Gayl King, a pioneer in her own right, back in 2001. Other female players to have graced darts’ grandest stage include three-time women’s world champ Anastasia Dobromyslova, as well as Deta Hedman and Lisa Ashton. More recently the likes of Graves, Mikuru Suzuki and Dutch transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven have headed to Alexandra Palace. Indeed, five women played at the 2026 tournament alone.

However, despite the improvements made in the women’s game, which Greaves is set to take to the next level, it is Sherrock who remains the only woman to ever win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship. That will change, but her status as the first woman to do so can never be taken away from her.

Other Firsts

Fallon Sherrock
Credit Sven Mandel via Wikipedia

Sherrock has achieved many firsts and set numerous records during her career. Here are some of the highlights:

  • First Woman to Reach Last 16 in Major (Mixed) Tournament – She reached this round of the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts
  • First Quarter Finalist – Last 16 win over Suljović saw her set a new mark at the same event
  • First Finalist in Televised Event – Also in 2021, Sherrock became the first woman to make the final of a televised PDC tournament, doing so at the Nordic Masters
  • First Woman to Hit a Nine-Darter – At the 2023 Winmau Challenge Tour Event Nine, she became the first female player to hit a perfect leg in a PDC event
  • Televised Nine-Darter – Later in 2023 she became the first woman to land a nine-darter on TV, doing so at the Modus Super Series

Of course, records are made to be broken. One day Greaves or another female star may well surpass Sherrock’s achievements. But pioneers like her are remembered not just for what they won and the “firsts” they achieved, but what they made possible. Fallon Sherrock proved that women could compete and even win on the PDC’s biggest stages and whatever follows, her legacy is secure.