Women's World Matchplay: Start date, venue, format, prize money breakdown, history, how to watch & more
The fifth-staging of the Women's World Matchplay will take place in Blackpool in July 2026 and we've got all the details you need to know as Lisa Ashton bids to defend her Winter Gardens crown.
The competition will see eight of the best players in the women's game battle it out for the £10,000 top prize inside the fables venue's Empress Ballroom including 2023 and 2024 victor Beau Greaves as well as reigning title-holder Ashton.
Women's World Matchplay - Date
When is the Women's World Matchplay?
The 2026 Women's World Matchplay takes place on Sunday 26th July, 2026, on a day that will also include the final of the men's event.
Women's World Matchplay - Prize Money
A £35,000 prize pool has been announced for the Women's World Matchplay, with the winner set to pocket £10,000.
Winner (1): | £10,000 |
Runner-up (1): | £5,000 |
Semi-Final Losers (2): | £2,500 |
Quarter-Final Losers (4): | £1,250 |
Women's World Matchplay - Location & Venue
Where is the Women's World Matchplay being held?
The Women's World Matchplay has been held in each of the past four years and on each occasion it has been staged inside the Empress Ballroom at Blackpool's Winter Gardens - the same venue that the 2026 event will take place at.
Women's World Matchplay - Competitors
Who is playing in the Women's World Matchplay?
The top eight players on the Women's Order of Merit will feature at the 2026 Women's World Matchplay, with the confirmed line-up set to be announced a couple of weeks before the competition takes place.
Women's World Matchplay Format
What is the format for the Women's World Matchplay?
The Women's World Matchplay is played out across a single afternoon's play, with all four quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final being played over a leg format, as shown below:
- Quarter-finals: Best-of-7 legs
- Semi-finals: Best-of-9 legs
- Final: Best-of-11 legs
How to watch the Women's World Matchplay
The 2026 Women's World Matchplay will be shown live on Sky Sports+, with coverage getting underway from 13:00 (GMT) on Sunday 26th July, 2026.
Women's World Matchplay - History
Who is the defending Women's World Matchplay champion?
The 2026 staging of the Women's World Matchplay will be the fifth edition of the competition with two-time winner Beau Greaves the most decorated player in tournament history.
Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock is the only other players to have reigned supreme in Blackpool, with Fellock capturing the title in 2022 and Ashton, of course, triumphing in 2025.
The first of Greaves' two successes came in 2023 when she dropped just four legs en-route to a 6-1 demolition of Japanese number one Mikuru Suzuki, before defending her crown 12 months later with a 6-3 triumph over Sherrock.
