One Last Dance...for now: Fallon Sherrock chases Women's World Matchplay crown as 2026 hiatus looms

The Queen of the Palace and one of the most easily recognisable darters on the planet, Fallon Sherrock announced earlier this year she'll shortly be taking an indefinite break from the sport. Before then however, Sherrock is determined to add to her trophy cabinet, and where better to do so than at the 2025 Women's World Matchplay in Blackpool?

Back in 2022, Sherrock won the inaugural edition of the now showpiece women's event on the PDC circuit, defeating Aileen De Graaf in the final. The last two years however, have seen the rise of Beau Greaves as women's darts new dominant force with the three-time world champion even beating Sherrock in the final of the 2024 edition of the Women's World Matchplay last year.

As mentioned though, with her break from the sport looming large at the end of the year, Sherrock is determined to go out on a high. "It would be really good to go out with a win this year especially if I do have to take a break next year," she says in quotes collected by Sky Sports.

"I have managed to gain a little bit back for next year so I should play a little bit more than what I thought but I think a couple of months is what I will need next year," she adds, hinting a complete break in 2026 might not be on the cards after all. "I really just want to go out on a win this year and go out on a high, making all the majors."

Whilst Sherrock is of course no stranger to success on the PDC stage, in her own estimation, winning the Women's World Matchplay in 2025 would go right alongside anything she's done to date. "If I can win it will rank really high because it will mean not only have I won a major once but I have actually done it again," she says. "Because what I am trying to do is go out on a high this year, it would be straight up there because I would have achieved what I wanted to do. I am trying to not get emotional about it but yeah that is what I want to do."

It's likely revenge against Greaves would have to happen for Sherrock to get her wish however. No easy task. "We are still making history each time we play in it," she says of her rivalry with Greaves, although Sherrock isn't looking too far ahead.

"I have Gemma Hayter first round and I think it is going to be a really tough game because Gemma is a really good player. I think it is going to be a really eventful game for everyone and I am looking forward to a really good game," she previews. "I feel like the competition in the women's game has grown a lot. You can see all the different players coming through now and this year is a lot stronger than what it has been in the last couple of years because people are more determined now and they want to play in the Matchplay, that is what they aspire to do. From that, the quality of women's darts is just increasing each year."