With the inaugural Anglo-American Cup set to kick off on October 10th, Cage 91 sits down with Emily Kilner, the competition’s presenter and one of padel’s most sought-after commentators. From her sports-oriented early life to working at one of padel’s most groundbreaking events, Kilner’s professional journey is characterized by her charismatic and detail-oriented approach to sport presenting, where she has quickly become the go-to personality in the UK padel sphere. Her exciting ascent is set to continue at the Anglo-American Cup, as Cage 91 discovers…
From Hockey Fields to Padel Courts
Despite Emily Kilner’s somewhat unexpected journey into presenting, it is without a doubt that sport was a central pillar of her upbringing. Her involvement – and passion – for sport was clear from the very beginning through her experiences as an England U21 Hockey player. Yet, once graduating from Durham University, Kilner’s professional path seemed to lead away from the realm of the sporting – and padel – world; she had accepted a corporate graduate program, distancing herself from professional sport, be it on or off the field. It took a chance event – working part-time as a presenter for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – to light the fire of realization that being the face of global sporting competitions might be a viable career. She became involved with the Hockey Paper, whose ownership will be familiar to any Padel Paper readers, and from there secured a first padel gig at the 2022 World Championship Qualifiers in Derby. This competition was the platform from which Kilner’s prevalence in the padel world took hold; her growing positions – supplemented by commentary training won in the BBC Sport New Voice Award competition –include work for padel powerhouses Premier Padel and Padel TV.
Finding a Style Behind the Mic
Despite her rising profile in the UK’s fast-growing sport, Kilner has cited the challenges of adapting to a relatively new set of rules and terminology. An unfamiliar set of players, tournaments, and tactics has presented a fresh challenge, but one that Kilner has fully embraced. Her ability to build a rapport with athletes has also been a different experience from that of hockey, where she was familiar with many names through her involvement with the GB hockey setup. Solidifying relationships with athletes who were as unknown to her as she was to them has taken time, but Kilner’s expanding repertoire of padel events has ensured that she has become one of the sport’s leading court-side names. Yet, she stresses that this transition into a new sport has been helped significantly by her experiences on the field, as well as by her appetite for consuming sport. “By taking in commentary subconsciously,” Emily explains, “you build up a bank of phrases and reactions you’ve heard before from well-known presenters.”
When preparing for an event like the Anglo-American Cup, Emily is keen to stress the importance of pre-match preparation. Whilst most fans will be thinking of athletes performing match-specific training sessions or mobility routines, Kilner’s homework is no less meticulous. Her diligently curated player database contains all the key information on the players involved, including details ranging from their match statistics to social media updates. With these updated profiles, Kilner’s ability to quickly become familiar with players – often at short notice – allows her to have all the match’s key information at her disposal whilst she focuses on the more nuanced aspects of presenting. One such aspect is the disparity in familiarity between English and Spanish viewers; padel’s prevalence in Spain has created a knowledgeable and seasoned fan base, whereas padel’s status as an ‘emerging sport’ in the UK means that some viewers could be watching their first-ever padel game. As Emily explains, her role is to create a tailored stream of commentary that is accessible for both groups. “It’s important to provide an explanatory and accessible version for newer fans whilst maintaining a sense of technical analysis for padel enthusiasts – it’s a bit of a balancing act!” This balancing act lends itself to Kilner’s personal presenting style, where she starts simple – setting the match in the context of the professional calendar – before developing her analytical scope as the game progresses.
Setting the Stage for the Anglo-American Cup
Padel’s boom in both the US and UK has meant that one of Kilner’s primary roles at the Anglo-American Cup will be to capture the sense of anticipation and excitement for such a ground-breaking event. As the ‘Hype Host’ for the tournament, she will be continually stoking the atmosphere throughout the competition, energizing the crowd, and keeping spectators aware of which matches are set to take place. Kilner is also influential in the event’s content creation; whether she conducts post-match interviews, produces social media content, or interacts with fans and athletes, her work is set to bring the competition to life for those at the event as well as those following digitally. These interactions with UK and US padel players will highlight the differences between tactics and coaching styles across the Atlantic – an aspect that Kilner herself is interested in exploring. “The Anglo American Cup is massive for padel in this country – the prospect of the UK’s first big international event, coupled with the Ryder Cup-esque rivalry, will hopefully bring global attention towards UK padel.”
With the Anglo-American Cup another event in Kilner’s quickly expanding catalogue, her reputation as ‘The New Voice of Padel’ reflects her position at the fore of padel’s UK boom. Her BBC Sport New Voice Award conveys the opportunity for a multi-sport repertoire, with iconic presenters like Claire Balding, who have built careers through sports broadcasting – professionals she aims to emulate. As Kilner continues to become the go-to personality for all things padel, it seems assured that the Anglo-American Cup is in safe hands and that Kilner’s contributions will undoubtedly make the competition an event to remember.
