Meet Matt Knoesen. Recently, Matt won the French Open boys’ wheelchair singles and doubles titles at Roland Garros aged just 13. Quite an achievement for someone who was born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition that severely limits movement in his knees.
As a young child, Matt loved Formula 1. He was a keen go-karter and graduated to the Honda Cadet Series using a bespoke pedal box designed by Bob Bell, the engineer behind Ayrton Senna’s iconic 1988 championship-winning McLaren.
But after a knee injury made go-karting unsafe, he channelled his passion towards wheelchair tennis – training long hours at Horsmonden Tennis Club in Kent.
Four years on, Matt is a Grand Slam champion.
He models his game on the Japanese sensation, Tokito Oda, and has received messages of support from Jack Draper and Lando Norris throughout his journey.
We were fortunate enough to meet Matt and his family at the AELTC celebration of 50 years of wheelchair tennis. Both Matt’s exceptional talent and the support of his parents, Gavin and Kerry, were clear to see. They have backed him at every step so he can make his dream of becoming a golden-slam champion a reality one day.
We’re delighted to be working with Matt and his family on the legal side of his growing brand – the sponsorship deals, the partnerships, and other contracts that come with being a young athlete on the rise.
Here’s what Matt had to say:
“Massive thank you to David and Jo and the rest of the team at London Law Collective that you offered to help with some legal advice and legal matters. It’s also been really interesting learning about the different areas of contracts and how it works, so thank you.”
It’s a privilege to play even a small part in Matt’s inspiring journey. We’ll be cheering him on for the rest of 2026 and beyond.
Photos: Nicolas Gouhier/FFT
