Max Kilham

About Me

I am a sports journalist for Tennishead who specialises in analytical coverage of the ATP and WTA Tours.

My work has included interviews with Amanda Anisimova, Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, Kevin Anderson, Emilio Nava, Paul Goldstein [Arthur Fery's university coach] and Jeff Ryan [Winston-Salem Open Tournament Director].

I also regularly feature on Filipino national television, analysing the performances of Alexandra Eala.

Prior to joining Tennishead, I reported on high-profile criminal court cases for national audiences via The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Daily Mirror.

I also appeared in Sky TV's 'Killer in my Village' after reporting on Joy Boulton's murder trial at Guildford Crown Court.

I hold an MA in Journalism from the University of Sheffield and a BA in Journalism from the University of Sussex.

My Latest Work

Tennishead •

Amanda Anisimova picks her dream mixed doubles partner from tennis history, ‘I love his composure’

The US Open Mixed Doubles event concluded on Wednesday evening.

Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik emerged triumphant, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the final.

A number of high-profile players competed in the revamped event, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Serena Williams.

Amanda Anisimova also competed in the event alongside compatriot Learner Tien.

Anisimova and Tien were beaten in the first round by Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro: 5-3, 4-2.

Speaking exclusively t...
Tennishead •

Amanda Anisimova names her toughest ever opponent on the WTA Tour

Amanda Anisimova has competed against some of the best players in tennis history.

The American star, who recently partnered with iced tea brand ‘Pure Leaf,’ made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2017 Miami Open, losing to Taylor Townsend in the first round.

Since then, Anisimova has played the likes of Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek.

Speaking exclusively to Tennishead, the 24-year-old named another rival as her hardest opponent to play on the WTA circuit....
Tennishead •

Amanda Anisimova says how she really feels about women potentially playing five sets at Grand Slams

Should women play best-of-five set matches in Grand Slam singles events?

Various players have offered their opinions on the matter, including Iva Jovic and Naomi Osaka.

Jovic stated that she would welcome the potential change with ‘open arms,’ while Osaka said she was ‘neutral’ on the matter when asked about the subject in May.

Amanda Anisimova, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, revealed her stance in an exclusive interview with Tennishead.

“In my opinion – I know that there’s been a lot of co...
Tennishead •

Winston-Salem tournament director shares his big hope as Craig Tiley becomes CEO of the USTA

Craig Tiley began his tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Tennis Association last month.

Tiley, from Durban, South Africa, spent 13 years as the CEO of Tennis Australia before making the switch.

The Australian Open grew significantly in status under Tiley’s guidance, with tournament expansion and the construction of three cutting-edge roofed stadiums just the tip of the iceberg.

Will the trailblazing South African have a similar effect on US tennis?

Jeff Ryan, the Wins...
Tennishead •

Winston-Salem tournament director would love Novak Djokovic to play tournament before he retires from tennis

The Winston-Salem Open's entry list was confirmed earlier this week.

The likes of Luciano Darderi, Arthur Fery and Arthur Rinderknech are set to compete in the award-winning ATP 250 event, which will run from August 23 to 29.

Some of the greatest names in tennis history have competed at the North Carolina event in the past, including seven-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz, who competed in the 2021 event while only 18 years old.

One player who is yet to take their talents to Winston-Sa...
Tennishead •

Arthur Fery's college coach predicts where he will be ranked by the end of 2026 after his amazing run at Wimbledon

Can Arthur Fery win Wimbledon?

That is the question on the mind of every British tennis fan following Fery’s spellbinding campaign at this year’s Championships.

The 23-year-old has battled his way to the semi-finals in London, becoming only the second wildcard in the history of the Wimbledon Men’s Singles event to reach the last four.

After defeating Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday, Fery is set to climb 78 places in the rankings and become the new British number one.

Speaking exclusively to Tenn...
Tennishead •

Arthur Fery's former coach says how he can trouble Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon semi-finals

Upon the conclusion of Wimbledon at the end of this week, one story will remain at the forefront of every tennis fan’s mind.

That story will be the journey of Arthur Fery – Great Britain’s heroic figure at this year’s Championships.

The British star, 23, has produced some mesmerising tennis to reach the semi-finals in south-west London, despite being ranked 114th in the world heading into the event.

Fery, who played his college tennis at Stanford University, has beaten the likes of Grigor Dim...
Tennishead •

Casper Ruud names his favourite player to watch on the ATP Tour right now

Casper Ruud contested his first match on grass for two years on Thursday afternoon.

Ruud, the former world number two, was beaten by Ben Shelton at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in West London.

After the match, Shelton told Tennishead that the professional circuit has become ‘unsustainable’ for players.

Ruud also spoke to Tennishead in Hurlingham, discussing his hopes for the grass-court season and his favourite player to watch on the circuit.

Ruud, perhaps understandably so, has often b...
Tennishead •

Ben Shelton claims the tennis schedule is 'unsustainable' as he takes stance on Wimbledon media protest

A collection of players on the professional tennis circuit are set to stage media protests at Wimbledon.

Throughout the first week of Wimbledon, players will talk to media for only 15 minutes during their press conferences.

The protest is taking place in response to the prize money on offer at Wimbledon this year.

Wimbledon have raised their prize money by around 20 per cent compared to last year’s event. However, players have taken issue with the prize money on offer as a percentage of total...
Tennishead •

Kevin Anderson claims tennis players are 'underpaid' amid threats of Grand Slam boycott

Earlier this month, many of the world’s best players released a joint statement expressing their dissatisfaction at the prize money on offer at Roland Garros this year.

Players are unhappy with the prize money on offer at the Parisian event, estimating that the figure as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15 per cent.

The message stated that this figure falls way short of the 22 per cent requested by players.

Aryna Sabalenka then suggested players could ‘boycott’ future Gr...
Tennishead •

Kevin Anderson reacts to Jannik Sinner’s shock defeat and delivers verdict on medical time-out issue

Jannik Sinner’s defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros will surely go down as one of the greatest shocks in tennis history.

The Italian, who had won 30 consecutive contests prior to Thursday’s match, looked to be in full control against the Argentinian while leading 6-2, 6-2, 5-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

In a shocking turn of events, Sinner’s body began to fail him.

Despite receiving medical treatment towards the end of the third set, the Italian simply could not recover sufficie...
Tennishead •

Casper Ruud states the ‘career goal’ he really wants to achieve at Wimbledon before he retires

Not even Casper Ruud himself would deny that grass has been his worst surface for many years.

The Norwegian star, who has been ranked as high as world number two, has failed to advance past the Wimbledon second round in five attempts.

Ruud’s last campaign in South-West London – back in 2024 – ended with disappointment, as he lost to Fabio Fognini in the second round.

Ruud acknowledged his struggles when adapting to the surface while speaking to Tennishead and one other media member at the Gio...
Tennishead •

Kevin Anderson picks who was toughest to face out of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are undoubtedly the three greatest male players in tennis history.

The trio, who share 66 Grand Slam titles between them, battled against each other for the best part of 20 years on the ATP Tour.

With 24 major titles to his name, Djokovic is considered by many to be the greatest of the three.

However, many consider Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to be the greatest, pointing to Federer’s Wimbledon dominance and Nadal’s unbelievable record at Roland...
Tennishead •

Emilio Nava suggests what could happen to Alexander Zverev after his win in the French Open final

Alexander Zverev clinched his first Grand Slam title on Sunday with victory over Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final.

Zverev cut an emotional figure after winning the title, seemingly on the verge of tears as he took in the applause from the crowd inside Court Philippe Chatrier.

The post-match ceremony was similarly moving, with Cobolli stating that Zverev deserved to win the tournament.

With the Grand Slam burden now lifted from Zverev’s shoulders, could the German go on to win more majo...
Tennishead •

Emilio Nava picks the male player he thinks is most likely to win America's first Grand Slam title since 2003

No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since 2003.

Andy Roddick, the former world number one, remains the last American man to win a major singles title.

Roddick captured his one and only Grand Slam title when he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 US Open final.

Some have come close to ending the nation’s barren run; including Taylor Fritz, who was beaten by Jannik Sinner in the 2024 US Open final.

There are 15 American men currently ranked within the world’s top 100, inclu...
Mail Online •

Seventh seed Alex de Minaur beats Adrian Mannarino at Queen's Club

By MAX KILHAM FOR MAILONLINE Published: 00:57, 24 June 2023 | Updated: 00:57, 24 June 2023 Australian seventh seed Alex de Minaur battled through 27C heat at Queen’s Club to overcome French counterpuncher Adrian Mannarino - as British No 1 Katie Boulter sat courtside cheering her partner to victory.De Minaur made the contest a tactical frenzy as both players utilised different strategies in an attempt to disrupt their opponents’ rhythm. The Aussie, one of the quickest players on tour, ov...
Daily Mirror •

Schoolboy drowns in river after best pal jumped in 10 times to try and save him

A schoolboy tragically drowned in a river after his best friend desperately tried to save him ten times, a court has heard.

Shadrack Appiah, 10, sadly died after he ran ahead of his pals and jumped into the River Kennet in Reading. Berkshire coroner Hannah Godfrey ruled at an inquest that his death was down to misadventure.

The young boy didn't realise that the water was 6ft deep with thick silt on the river bed on August 21, last year. His best friend attempted to rescue him but he "quickly d...
Daily Mirror •

'I'll burn the apology letter from killer who pushed my mum over in Lloyds Bank'

A woman whose elderly mother died when she was "dramatically shoved" amid a dispute in a queue at a Lloyds Bank said she will burn the killer's letter of apology.

Michelle Lopez also intends to ask the Attorney General to review the "lenient" sentence given to Courtney Richman, who was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year. Richman was sentenced to 16 months in jail, suspended for 21 months, after a judge was told the defendant had "a catastrophic loss of temper" at the bank and pushed My...
Daily Mirror •

Daughter who suffocated dad with pillow to end his cancer agony faces jail

A middle-aged daughter who suffocated her terminally-ill 88-year-old father with a pillow as an act of mercy has admitted his manslaughter.

Dr Lisa Davenport appeared before a High Court judge on Thursday to plead guilty to manslaughter as an alternative to the murder charge she was facing following the death of her cancer-stricken father Barrie Davenport.

The court was told Davenport, 55, gave her dad "devoted care" but, when his pancreatic cancer reached advanced stages, she killed him to en...
Bracknell News •

Team GB star ‘threatened to bury ex-girlfriend’s children' in Wokingham

Frazer Chamberlain, 33, is accused of coercion, stalking and theft offences during his relationship with his alleged victim named Katie Snow.

Prosecutor John Carmichael told the jury that Chamberlain worked from time-to-time as a judo teacher at a primary school in Wokingham and had offered the victim's son free judo lessons.

Mr Carmichael told the jury at Reading Crown Court: "We are looking at two-and-a-half years or so of a developing relationship.

"The prosecution case is that af...
Daily Mirror •

Woman who encouraged pupils to batter young girl outside posh school jailed

A woman who encouraged a group of schoolgirls to batter a young pupil outside a posh Surrey school was jailed today for egging-on the violence.

In the video, which the Mirror has chosen not to share, a group of students ambush the 15-year-old girl, pulling out her hair and kicking and punching her as she is dragged to the ground. The fight, which took place outside the Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, Surrey, was filmed on mobile phones and went viral online.

In the footage, Winnie Connors,...
Slough Observer •

"I will kill you and happily go to prison,' said man who held knife to wife's throat

Rajinder Puni, 50, was in an argument with his wife on July 13 this year over how much he had been drinking, before he put the knife to Rupinder Puni's neck.

Prosecutor Chris Waymont said: "The defendant put a knife to her neck during the course of the argument.

READ MORE: Free festive fun and food for Slough kids

"She tried to put her hand up to defend herself and in the course of that injured her hand."

The knife, described by Mrs Puni, was a big black meat and kitchen knife -...
Bracknell News •

Talented teenager took his life days after Christmas, coroner hears

Sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Hill was last seen on a Ring door bell camera leaving his mother's home in Bracknell at 4:47am on December 29 last year.

The promising young boxer, described as a fitness fanatic, had taken himself to a wooded area on Scott Terrace where he took his life, the coroner was told at an inquest into his death on Tuesday, September 3.

Hours later, he was found by a member of the public. The cause of death was found to be a cut to his neck. 

Berkshire coroner Heid...
Reading Chronicle •

Man accused of killing 60-year-old with single punch outside Reading Railway Station

Ryan Basden, 27, is alleged to have attacked John Donovan, who was on a stag do, outside Reading Railway Station at around 8.30pm on July 20 last year.

Mr Donovan died from severe brain injuries in hospital on August 11 last year.

Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon said: "On Saturday, July 20 last year outside Reading Railway Station on a flat piece of concrete, Ryan Basden punched John Donovan in the face.

"He hit him so hard that Mr Donovan immediately lost consciousness whilst standing. He f...
Reading Chronicle •

Man cleared of manslaughter after acting in 'self defence'

John Donovan was knocked unconscious by the blow and fell backwards, hitting the back of his head on the concrete floor outside the rail terminus.

Ryan Basden, aged 27 years, of Beecham Road, Reading, was arrested and charged with the manslaughter of Mr Donovan who had been attending a stag party before the pair clashed outside Reading railway station.

However on Friday, February 14, after a 10 day trial, a jury ruled that Mr Basden had been acting in self-defence amid concern he was goi...
Reading Chronicle •

Woman, 30, who threatened to stab headmaster and social workers has been spared jail

The judge heard that 30-year-old Chelsea Lea threatened to stab a headmaster and told a social worker she "couldn't wait to stab her in the eyes."

The series of threatening messages were sent by Lea who was concerned about the custody of a child who cannot be identified for legal reasons.  

Lea appeared from custody at Reading Crown Court on Monday, December 2, convicted of one count of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm, two counts of making a threat to kill and t...
Reading Chronicle •

Man who stole £6,000 worth of items from Reading home is jailed

Jack Seivers, aged 35 years, was charged with burglary, assaulting and emergency worker and theft from a shop - all on December 13 last year.

Prosecutor Jack Preece said: "On December 13 last year, Mr Alam was at home with his wife. It was the early hours, around 3:30am.

"Mr Alam states he wasn't sleeping particularly well. He could hear noises coming from inside his flat. Then he heard a male say the words 'looking for cash.'"

Mr Preece told the court the victim locked his bedroom d...

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