MACY HENDIN-WALKER OUR FIRST FOUNDATION PLAYER GRADUATES IN THE USA

I can still remember the day both Elena and I visited Macy’s school for our very first tennis road show, Macy was only 7 years old then! She was one of the many groups of girls we coached during the day spent at the school.

Macy stood out immediately, she was full of energy, enthusiastic, and committed to all the drills we had organised, and plus she was a lefty! From the very start of the session, it was clear she absolutely enjoyed holding the racket and listening to the technical coaching. Macy was focused, and picked up the skills very quickly, she was also very athletic, with great multi-directional movement skills.

After the school visit, Macy started her tennis journey, with the encouragement from Elena, who always took time from her very busy schedule and traveling the World and competing for Great Britain. Elena wanted to help in any was she could, she gave her time coaching Macy, but also, as importantly provided Macy with committed mentoring.

Macy said “What Bally and you have given me is irreplaceable, the strength to fight and passion will never leave me. Thank you for always being by my side through this journey”.

I’m so proud of Elena, for understanding that the moments spent with Macy, and the conversations and messaging she provided, were incredibly valuable. Elena knew how powerful her words would be, and how they would plant the seeds of thought that would drive Macy along her tennis pathway.

It's important for young girls to have female role models and positive messaging because it shapes their sense of identity, self-worth, and what they believe is possible for their future. When Macy watched Elena succeeding in tennis, she begun to believe that this path could be open for her to. Without a visible role model such as Elena, Macy might have unconsciously absorbed the message that certain careers or achievements were "not for her."

Elena delivered positive messaging, like affirmations of worth, intelligence, and capability, helping Macy internalise a strong sense of self. This strong mentoring and messaging helped counter acting negative influences like body image pressures, gender-based discrimination, and imposter syndrome that can begin early.

Elena was an outstanding role model and offered more than inspiration; she shared her stories, struggles, and strategies for overcoming challenges. This guidance helped Macy navigate her own paths with resilience and clarity.

Macy used this very strong base, and committed to more and more training, and competition, and quickly moved up the rankings. She represented her county as a very strong and capable player and achieved a regional status player.

Macy would never forget where it all started and always came back home whenever she could. She has developed an outstanding personality and characte r and now mentors the young girls who are coming through the foundation programme. She remembers how much this meant to her, and how it affected her life and what she has achieved, she simply wants to give back, and that’s exactly what she does, and we all appreciate every second she reinvests in the girls now coming through the programme pathway.

Macy continues to enjoy all the experiences and opportunities that are created through Elena’s Legacy. The WTA our tennis world governing provides The Elena Baltacha foundation with incredible support. This includes asking our foundation to be involved in the global ‘Come Play’ event that is held in London. This is a tennis extravaganza, led by Judy Murray, who takes all the girls through dynamic and exciting tennis drills.

The event is attended by 60 girls from across our tennis network, Macy is so natural at making all the girls feel at ease, as clearly remembers what Elena told her, she now passes this support and mentoring down to the next generation.

We have ensured that Macy continues to benefit from our support. Through our relationship with the WTA, Macy has been offered an incredible opportunity to be part of the WTA tournament team as an intern. This has provided Macy with some incredible experiences, and also the opportunity to build her network through the WTA organisation. It’s been such a feeling of pride to receive such glowing comments from the WTA team, about Macy, and her role as an intern.

The icing on the cake of this incredible story is the news we received hearing that Macy has now graduated at Golden-Beacon College. What an amazing 4-year journey for this incredible young lady. Her tennis experience started at 7 years old with Elena, at her primary school. She continued with the mind set of thinking big, and having an aspirational mind set. She has taken on all the challenges, and achieved her dreams, that started as a young 7-year-old junior pupil. If it was not for Elena Baltacha-Severino, wanting to invest in young children, the chances are that Macy would have never played tennis, and travelled along her tennis pathway. The pride that we all feel at the foundation, can not be put into words.

Macy sent me a wonderful message: “Hi Nino, what a journey these last 4 years have been. It’s been such an amazing experience being able to come to a different country to play tennis while pursuing a degree. I have had to face many obstacles these last few years, but I kept pushing through because I knew I’d be stronger for it”. What an incredible young woman, we all look forward to stand by Macy as she travels through the next chapters of her life.