Noa-Lynn van Leuven, the first trans player to compete at the World Darts Championship, has announced she will “step back” from the sport for mental health reasons.
The 28-year-old history maker, who lost in the first round of WDC to Dutch compatriot Kevin Doets, returned to the oche at Q-School, where players compete to earn PDC Tour Cards, but suffered another early elimination.
She subsequently took to Instagram to reveal she is taking a break from the sport.
“Q-School 2025 is over, and unfortunately, I didn’t play my best game. The truth is, my mind hasn’t really been in the right place for a while. I’ve been struggling with my mental health for months, and every time a tournament comes up, I’ve tried to push it aside. But this time, it caught up with me,” Van Leuven posted.
“Trying to focus on darts while dealing with old traumas that were triggered last year just doesn’t work, and I’ve realised it’s time to shift my focus. It’s time to prioritise my mental health and work on actually getting better.
“This isn’t the end of my journey, just a step back to move forward. Thanks to everyone who’s supported me along the way – I appreciate it more than I can put into words.”