- Noa-Lynn van Leuven made her World Championship debut last month
- She has now decided to take a break from darts to focus on her mental health
- The transgender star has faced calls to be banned from women’s events
The first top transgender player in darts has revealed she will be taking a break from the sport to prioritise her mental health.
Dutch star Noa-Lynn van Leuven, 28, made her World Championship debut last month as she lost in the opening round at Alexandra Palace to her fellow countryman Kevin Doets.
She returned to action when she entered Q-School this week, where players compete to qualify for major tournaments. However, after being eliminated in the early stages, Van Leuven confirmed that she is quitting darts for a period after struggling to find her best form.
Posting on Instagram, Van Leuven wrote: ‘Unfortunately, I didn’t play my best matches. The truth is that my head hasn’t been in the right place for a while. I’ve been struggling with my mental health for months, every time a tournament comes around.
‘I’ve tried to push it aside, but this time I haven’t been able to. Focusing on darts, while old traumas from the events of the past year are flaring up, doesn’t work. It’s time to prioritise my mental health and work on getting better.’
She concluded her post by vowing to return to the sport when she is ready, adding: ‘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.’
Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven (pictured) has announced she is taking a break from the sport
Van Leuven made her World Championship debut at Alexandra Palace last month
Her decision to temporarily quit the sport comes after some female rivals, including British star Deta Hedman (pictured) called for transgender players to be banned from women’s events
Van Leuven, who started her transition as a teenager, enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 as she won multiple women’s tournaments.
However, her success was not welcomed by all players, with some of her female rivals, including British star Deta Hedman, calling for transgender players to be banned from women’s events.
Van Leuven hit back in October, as she labelled those wanting her removed from tournaments ‘toxic b***hes’.
She said: ‘I thought the world should know. This is discrimination. We have been thrown back 40 years with the sport of darts.’
She later told Dutch outlet NU: ‘They (other players) secretly tell me that they don’t understand the commotion. But there are a lot of conservative, toxic b***hes on the women’s tour.
‘They see me as a threat. I throw well now (on the women’s tour) because I feel more comfortable.
‘It’s a matter of putting money and hours into it. Not many women do that, but I do. I’ve proven I can win over men, too.’
Van Leuven was also rejected by her own team-mates earlier in 2024, as Dutch duo Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf left the national team back in March after refusing to play with her.
Van Leuven subsequently revealed that she received daily death threats on social media, but vowed to keep on playing due to her love of darts.
Anca Zijlstra (left) and Aileen de Graaf (right) refused to play in the same team as Van Leuven
Van Leuven said she received daily death threats online after her own team-mates turned against her
‘We all remember when my Dutch team-mates pulled out,’ Van Leuven said, as quoted by The Sun.
‘I got so many hate messages on my socials. People recognised me on the street. Most were fine and really supportive.
‘But those messages, like death threats… how many did I get? On a daily basis? In that period, yes.
‘I love this game, so I’ll keep playing,’ she added.
However, Van Leuven has now opted to take a step back from the sport after admitting she has struggled with her mental health in recent times.