Noa-Lynn van Leuven explained

Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Birth Date:27 September 1996[1]
Birth Place:Beverwijk, Netherlands
Hometown:Heemskerk, Netherlands
Laterality:Right-handed
Music:Euphoria by Loreen
Currentrank:(PDC)
Dutch Open:Semi Final: 2023, 2024

Noa-Lynn van Leuven (born 27 September 1996) is a Dutch darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events.

Early life

Van Leuven began considering transitioning around the age of 16,[2] and began her gender transition as a teenager. She told the PA news agency that she had suffered depression beforehand, and that she "wouldn't be here" if not for her transition. Van Leuven had played darts for nine years before her transition, though she stopped for several years.[3] She works as a chef de partie.[4]

Career

2022

Having passed stringent transitioning tests to play in women's darts, van Leuven made her debut at the 2022 PDC Women's Series.[5]

Van Leuven reached the quarter-finals of both events 13 and 14 of the Women's Series, losing to Beau Greaves 4–2 and Laura Turner 4–3 respectively.

2023

At the 2023 Dutch Open, van Leuven entered the event as the 15th seed and reached the semi-finals. In the last 64 she whitewashed Jacqueline Geel 3–0 then defeated Evelien van Tol 4–1 in the last 32 before winning against Deta Hedman and Lorraine Hyde 4–3 in deciding legs. Van Leuven was whitewashed by eventual winner Aileen de Graaf 4–0 in the semi-finals.[6] [7]

Van Leuven played at the 2023 PDC Women's Series. She qualified for the 2023 Women's World Matchplay by finishing 8th in the Women's Matchplay Race. She did this by reaching the final of event twelve of the Women's series, where she was whitewashed 5–0 by Beau Greaves,[8] to leapfrog 2022 Women's World Matchplay semi-finalist Lorraine Winstanley.[9]

She played against Beau Greaves in the first round of the Women's World Matchplay, becoming the first trans woman to play in a televised PDC tournament.[10] She was whitewashed 4–0 by Greaves.

2024

Van Leuven entered the 2024 Dutch Open as the 4th seed and reached the semi-finals again. She whitewashed Jaleesa Zegel 3–0, then defeated Kelly Streef, Tori Kewish and Kirsty Hutchinson each 4–1. Van Leuven lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winner, Women's number one Beau Greaves.[11]

Van Leuven played at the 2024 PDC Challenge Tour series, winning on her debut at event six.[12] [13] [14] [15]

Van Leuven played at the 2024 PDC Women's Series. She reached the quarter-finals at the first event, losing there to reigning WDF Women's World Champion Beau Greaves 5–2.[16] At the second event, van Leuven won a Women's series tournament for the first time. She whitewashed Roos Van der Velde, Anca Zijlstra and Hannah Meek each 4–0 in legs. Van Leuven then defeated Marie Fitton 4–2 in the last 16. Van Leuven achieved 5–3 victories over Beau Greaves and Fallon Sherrock in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively before she triumphed over Katie Sheldon 5–2 in the final.[17] [18] [19] This victory meant van Leuven had won both a women's tournament and a mixed gender tournament in the same week.[2]

At event three of the Women's Series, van Leuven reached the quarter-finals again, winning against Eve Watson 4–3, whitewashing Snezana Veljkovic 4–0, defeating Chris Savvery 4–1 and beating Steph Clarke 4–2 before losing 5–4 to Lorraine Hyde.[20] [21] [22]

At event four van Leuven defeated Casey Gallagher 4–1 and then whitewashed Angela Kirkwood and Carly Townsend 4–0 before losing 4–1 to Fallon Sherrock.[20] [23] [24]

Performance timeline

PDC Players Championships

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Noa-Lynn van Leuven - Mastercaller.com . Mastercaller.
  2. Web site: Wilson . Jeremy . 24 March 2024 . Transgender darts player wins women's and men's tournaments in same week . 24 March 2024 . . . en.
  3. Web site: Veal . Jonathan . 29 November 2023 . Darts helping Noa-Lynn van Leuven to dream again after transition . 17 March 2024 . The Independent.
  4. Web site: Mirza . Raz . 21 July 2023 . Women's World Matchplay: Noa-Lynn van Leuven set to be first trans woman to play in a TV darts tournament . 24 May 2023 . Sky Sports . en.
  5. Web site: 29 November 2023 . Veal . Jonathan . Darts helping Noa-Lynn van Leuven to dream again after transition . 17 March 2024 . The Independent.
  6. Web site: Dutch Open 2023 Women' Singles . DartConnect.
  7. Web site: Dutch Open Women 2023 . World Darts Federation.
  8. Web site: Gorton . Josh . 25 June 2023 . Double delight for record-breaking Beau in Hildesheim. PDC. 25 June 2023.
  9. Web site: Gorton . Josh . 26 June 2023 . Women's World Matchplay field confirmed . Professional Darts Corporation . PDC.tv.
  10. Web site: Liew . Jonathan . 14 July 2023 . Noa-Lynn van Leuven: ‘I think darts is helping me to be the best of myself’ . 17 March 2024 . The Guardian.
  11. Web site: Gill . Samuel . 4 February 2024 . Beau Greaves gains rampant revenge against Aileen de Graaf, reclaims Dutch Open Darts title . 9 February 2024 . Darts News . en.
  12. Web site: Gorton . Josh . 15 March 2024 . Van Leuven & Eidams celebrate maiden Challenge Tour titles in Hildesheim . 15 March 2024 . Professional Darts Corporation.
  13. Web site: 15 March 2024 . Noa-Lynn van Leuven becomes first woman to win darts Challenger Tour event on sensational debut . 15 March 2024 . Sky Sports.
  14. Web site: 15 March 2024 . PDC Challenge Tour 06 . 15 March 2024 . DartConnect TV.
  15. Web site: Gill . Samuel . 15 March 2024 . Noa-Lynn van Leuven makes history and becomes first trans woman to win a Challenge Tour tournament . 15 March 2024 . Darts News.
  16. Web site: PDC Women's Series - Event 01 . 23 March 2024 . 23 March 2024.
  17. Web site: Gorton . Josh . 23 March 2024 . Sherrock and Van Leuven triumph As 2024 PDC Womens Series Season Begins. . 23 March 2024.
  18. Web site: 23 March 2024 . Fallon Sherrock and Noa-Lynn Van Leuven victorious as PDC Women's Series begins . 24 March 2024 . Sky Sports.
  19. Web site: 23 March 2024 . PDC Women's Series: Fallon Sherrock beats Beau Greaves & Noa-Lynn van Leuven wins . 24 March 2024 . BBC Sport.
  20. Web site: Phillips . Josh . 24 March 2024 . Sherrock & Suzuki claim titles at Women's Series Events 3-4 . 24 March 2024 . PDC.
  21. Web site: Wood . Kieran . 24 March 2024 . Mikuru Suzuki captures her fifth title at PDC Women's Series . 24 March 2024 . Darts News.
  22. Web site: 24 March 2024 . PDC Women's Series - Event 03 . 24 March 2024 . DartConnect.
  23. Web site: 24 March 2024 . Fallon Sherrock wins second title of the weekend in PDC Women's Series . 24 March 2024 . Sky Sports.
  24. Web site: 24 March 2024 . PDC Women's Series - Event 04 . 24 March 2024 . DartConnect.
  25. Not a Tour card holder