Teenage tennis star sets sights on Paralympics

A 13-year-old has attributed his success on the wheelchair tennis tour to his self-belief.

Matt Knoesen, from Biddenden, won the boys' wheelchair singles and doubles at the French Open and has his sights set on the Paralympic Games.

"Believing in myself is how I've been able to win a Grand Slam and travel around the world playing tennis," the teenager told the BBC.

"As long as you believe you can be the best and you are willing to work hard to achieve that, then you have the best chance possible."

Knoesen was born with a spinal cord injury that left him effectively paralysed below the knee.

He raced go-karts until an injury stopped him from being able to compete, leading to him taking up tennis.

"When I realised my dream of go-kart racing was over it was very tricky to deal with but my transition to tennis helped me with that," he said.

"Honestly, despite the injuries and challenges I have faced, I have never had a moment when I thought I couldn't do something.

"It's about surrounding yourself with the right people and having the right mentality."

In 2025 Matt Knoesen became the first player in history to win the junior singles, men's open singles and men's open doubles at the LTA National Wheelchair Tennis Championships - all in the same year.

That same year he also became the youngest player ever to represent Team GB, winning gold with the squad at the ITF World Team Cup in Turkey.

The teenager beat Alexander Lantermann in the boys' wheelchair singles final at Roland Garros in June, before partnering with the Belgian to win the doubles.

"I had prepared so hard for this but I could not believe that I had won a Grand Slam at Roland Garros, the home of my tennis idol Rafa Nadal, it was surreal," Knoesen told the BBC.

His father Gavin Knoesen said he was "so proud" of the teenage player.

"I say to him all the time that he is already more of a man than I will ever be and he has accomplished more than I ever will," he said.

"For Matt, it's about building a career so that he can live a life doing what he loves.

"Deep down, in 2032, he would love to be at the Paralympics."

The teenager trains regularly at the Horsmonden Lawn Tennis Club and his coach Zane Cheeseman was courtside throughout the French Open wheelchair championships.

"Just three years of playing tennis and then to go to a Grand Slam and achieve the success he has is unbelievable," the coach said.

"Then you add in the restrictions of wheelchair tennis and Matt's achievement is even more remarkable.

"Nothing holds him back, he is so driven and when he wants to do something he will do it."

The teenager is now training to compete in the last Grand Slam title of the season, the US Open Wheelchair Championships.

"I started playing in my day wheelchair before I got a multi-sports wheelchair and that just shows, whoever you are, all you need is a chair and a racket to give tennis a go with your family and see if you like it," he said.

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