Gold was only the beginning: Maximus Jones beyond the SEA Games

The SEA Games medals are secured. The anthem has been played. The podium moments are now part of history. But for Maximus Jones, none of that is the finish line.

Fresh from a golden SEA Games campaign that reaffirmed his status as Thailand’s brightest tennis prospect, the 21-year-old is already looking far beyond regional glory. His eyes are fixed on a far bigger target — qualifying for the US Open, cracking the world’s top 240 and forcing his way onto tennis’s grandest stage.

Born in Sydney to an Australian father and a Thai mother, Maximus first picked up a tennis racquet at the age of seven — not out of ambition, but necessity. Like many children, he simply needed something to do after school, a place to channel his energy and fill the long afternoons.

But somewhere between the bouncing balls and endless rallies, something ignited.

What began as routine slowly became attachment. Attachment turned into passion. And before anyone fully realised it, that passion had transformed into purpose.

Recognising how deeply her son had fallen in love with the sport, his mother, Phaphat Chompu, chose belief over certainty. “If it’s his dream, I have no other choice but to support him,” she said — fully aware that professional tennis is filled with uncertainty, where effort does not always guarantee reward.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the tennis world to a standstill, Maximus and his mother made a decision that would quietly shape his career. With tournaments scarce elsewhere, they packed their lives into suitcases and relocated to Egypt, one of the few places where ITF events continued almost year-round.

For more than a year, Egypt became home. Tunisia followed.

The conditions were unforgiving, unfamiliar surroundings, constant travel and match after match ending in disappointment. There were stretches when singles losses piled up mercilessly, threatening confidence and clarity. Still, he stayed.

Each defeat hardened his resolve, not just to improve, but to make every sacrifice worthwhile. That period, largely unseen, became the backbone of his mental toughness and competitive edge.

The experience paid off. By 17, Maximus had climbed inside the world’s top 180 junior rankings, and only then did the invitation letters begin to arrive. Colleges in the US and UK came calling, offering security, scholarships and a conventional pathway forward.

But behind closed doors, Maximus made a decision that stunned those closest to him.

“By the time I turn 22, I’d probably be stuck on tournament waiting lists if I go to college, watching precious years slip away,” he told his mother. The choice was risky. It was also unmistakably his.

The payoff finally arrived in 2023 in Nonthaburi. Maximus captured his first ITF Men’s Circuit title, then backed it up with another. The raw potential was no longer theoretical, it was translating into results.

Momentum soon carried onto the continental stage. Partnering Pruchya Isaro, he claimed the 2023 Asian Games men’s doubles bronze medal, announcing his arrival as a player built for pressure moments. And then, in April this year, history was rewritten.

At just 20, Maximus lifted his first Challenger trophy, becoming the youngest Thai player ever to win at that level. In a gripping final, he defeated former world top-100 player Ricardas Berankis 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, the biggest victory of his career, at the US$50,000 Challenger in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

He was no longer a prospect knocking on the door. He was inside the room.

The SEA Games confirmed it. Maximus completed a golden double: men’s doubles gold with Pruchya and a historic men’s singles gold after defeating Kasidit Samrej in the final — the first Thai man to win the singles title in 10 years.

Today, Maximus continues his ascent at Unity Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain - a professional environment designed for life on tour. Disciplined by nature, he keeps a quiet lifestyle, shaped by a strict upbringing that famously barred him from using a phone until he turned 17.

He rarely speaks ill of others, avoids criticism and carries a reputation for a pure heart in an unforgiving sport.

His roadmap is clear. By 2026, he aims to climb the rankings, play Grand Slams and win a medal at the Asian Games in Japan. But one goal now burns brighter than all others.

In a nation still searching for successors to icons like former world No. 9 Paradorn Srichaphan and former top-80 stalwart Danai Udomchoke, the conversation has shifted from “Who’s next?” to “Is this him?”

And if his passion continues to burn, Thailand may not just have its next hope. It may have its next star.