👦 Matthew Knoesen | Tennis Papers interview, January 2026

“My dream is to represent my country at The Paralympics and to win the Golden Slam.”

Meet Matthew Knoesen, British-South African junior tennis player who lives in Cranbrook, Kent, UK and currently competing in Boys U18 category.
Matthew is ranked number 4 in the world in his age category and competes in ITF international tournaments.

This profile is based on an exclusive interview conducted by Tennis Papers in January 2026.

📘 Matthew Knoesen | Biography, January 2026

🏡 Cranbrook, Kent, UK 🇬🇧

🌳 Surrounded by the rolling countryside of Kent
🏰 Home to the iconic Union Mill and historic streets
☕ Cozy tea rooms, boutiques & local shops
🚶 Perfect for peaceful walks and village life
✨ Quiet, elegant, and warmly traditional

🎙️Matthew Knoesen | Interview, January 2026

Hello, introduce yourself please.

My name is Matthew Knoesen, I was born in December 2012.
I am British and South African. I live in England, UK.

What languages do you speak?

English and basic French and Spanish.

At what age did you start playing tennis?

At 10 years old.

Are there other tennis players in your family?

⁠My younger brother plays tennis and he is moving up to Yellow Ball soon.

Which club do you train with?

Bromley Tennis Center and Horsmonden Tennis Club.

Who are your coaches?

Lauren Harrington, Imran Aswat and a special mentor in Zane Cheeseman.

What is your weekly training routine?

I train about 15 hours a week this includes oncourt, swimming and strength and conditioning sessions.

What is your greatest strength as a player, and what do you need to improve?

My greatest quality as an athlete is that I will never give up, my intensity and my ability to dig deep when behind in a game is very strong.
The thing I most need to improve is realizing quicker if something is not working and fixing it.

What is your tennis category and national ranking?

⁠My junior categories are ITF Wheelchair Tennis U18, where my ranking is number 4.
In the UK my National rankings are LTA Men’s and Juniors number 1.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

Reaching the 2026 Australia Open Juniors.

In which countries have you played tournaments?

France, Italy, Turkey, Lithuania, USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, UK and Australia next week.

Do you have any sponsors?

⁠Yes, Baylis & Harding, Vodafone and TraderGuide are my commercial sponsors and Yonex (From 1 January 2026), Biowave and Under Armour are my kit and equipment sponsors.

What is your goal for 2026?

To win a junior singles Grand Slam.

What is your tennis dream?

⁠To be the youngest ever world number 1 in men’s and juniors at the same time. To represent my country at The Paralympics, to win the Golden Slam and to be one of the greatest ambassadors for the game.

Who are your favorite tennis players?

⁠My favourites are Rafa and Roger. Then it has to be Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper and Ben Shelton. In wheelchair Tokito Oda and one of my early inspirations to play the game Alfie Hewett

What do you enjoy outside of tennis?

⁠I love outdoor activities such as fishing, shooting, drone photography, riding dirt bikes with my best friend Austin and with motorsport and racing being one of my greatest passions I also love sim racing.

Who would you like to dedicate this interview to?

⁠My family, my sponsors, my coaches and everyone who has believed in me.

Thank you for the interview, Matthew 🙌
Tennis Papers wishes you all the best in your tennis journey 💜🩷