The Ultimate Pool Pro Series is facing renewed scrutiny after two transgender athletes advanced to the final round of its Women’s Pro Series event, ensuring that the 2025 champion will be a biological male.
The final, held on Sunday, featured Lucy Smith and Harriet Haynes — both transgender players — competing for the women’s title.
The outcome effectively guaranteed that no biological female would win the top spot in this year’s competition.
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Harriet Haynes, who previously won the title in 2022 and finished as runner-up in 2023, entered the 2024 season as the No. 1-ranked female player in the Ultimate Pool Pro Series.
With Sunday’s match, Haynes is in position to claim the title again for 2025.
🚨BREAKING🚨
Two men will face each other for a women’s championship title at the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 tonight in Wigan, UK.
Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, both trans-identified males, beat all female competitors to take the spots in the women’s final event. pic.twitter.com/CNrfPuWEB7
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) April 6, 2025
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The event is part of a broader tour hosted by Ultimate Pool, which awards cash prizes to top finishers in each tournament.
According to the organization’s official website, the women’s champion receives £1,800, equivalent to approximately $2,320.
The runner-up is awarded £900, or roughly $1,160. In total, 16 players are paid out, with a combined pool of £2,700 split among them based on final standings.
With two transgender athletes placing first and second, the 14 biological female competitors in the final bracket placed below both and received smaller cash awards as a result.
The inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s competitions continues to raise debate in professional sports internationally.
The Ultimate Pool Pro Series has not issued an updated statement regarding its eligibility policies for the women’s division as of press time.
The tournament was part of Ultimate Pool’s ongoing efforts to promote competitive 8-ball pool events throughout the UK and beyond.
The Pro Series in particular highlights both male and female divisions, but has faced increased attention due to the growing number of transgender participants competing in women’s brackets.
This year’s results mark the second known instance in the series where both finalists in a women’s event were transgender.
While Haynes has consistently ranked among the top players in the league over multiple seasons, including securing the 2022 title and returning to the final round in consecutive years, the continued dominance by transgender athletes in women’s events has intensified calls for clarification on competition standards.
Prize distribution remains unchanged, with the top finishers receiving the largest shares, regardless of biological sex.
Sunday’s result ensured that both Smith and Haynes took home the largest earnings, ahead of all other participants in the women’s field.
No formal complaints from competitors have been reported publicly, and Ultimate Pool has yet to release a statement in response to media inquiries regarding the final match outcome or future policy considerations.
The next round of the Ultimate Pool Pro Series is scheduled for later this year, with further events leading into the 2025 competitive calendar.
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