18-year-old Ethan Henderson has enjoyed playing tennis for the last 6 years. Henderson found his passion for tennis through his grandfather and has loved the progress he’s made over the years. 

In 2016, at 11 years old, Henderson became the first student to join the 40 Love Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Inglewood dedicated to extending tennis resources and mentorship to underserved communities.

When the Southern California Tennis Association learned about Henderson’s financial struggles with tennis via a previous interview, the organization stepped in to help. 

Darryl Nash, the Director of Marketing and Communications for SCTA heard about Henderson and arranged a meet and greet with the student athlete and his favorite player Gael Monfils at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells California. 

Henderson was also able to participate in the tournament’s “Hitting With The Stars” event with some of the best tennis players in the world, including Monfils and Frances Tiafoe who is currently the world’s highest ranked African American tennis player. 

On Tuesday, March 8th, Henderson had no idea what he was walking into. When he arrived at Indian Wells and was surprised to find out all that Nash had arranged. He was going to meet some of his favorite players and get a chance to hit with them!

The SCTA even arranged a quick sit-down meet and greet with Henderson and Monfils and Henderson was beyond thrilled about the opportunity.

“Wow, this is still so surreal,” Henderson repeated throughout the day.

The day began with live ball with Gael and Elina (Svitolina) Monfils and then transitioned to an overhead showdown with Tiafoe. Next, it was team v. team line up with Nick Monroe and finally, it was a volley for volley match up with doubles champions, the Bryan Brothers. 

The day was filled with amazing surprises, including a Nike package full of gear gifted and it was more than Henderson could have imagined. 

Before Henderson ended his unbelievable day, Monfils left him with some encouraging words and wished him luck in his tennis career. 

The day was a surreal experience for Henderson and it sparked a new thought process for the young athlete. He was motivated to get back in the lab and work even harder towards his goals.

That day exemplified what 40 Love Foundation’s mission is: to inspire, mentor, and assist the youth in whatever is needed for their growth and development.