The Girl Who Has Never Met A Stranger

Six years ago, Lenox Baker sat beside Venus and Serena Williams and Mandy Moore in Miami waiting to walk into Andy Roddick and Ally Baker’s press release for their new Babolat commercial.  

Ally Baker is Lenox Baker’s big sister. Ally Baker turned into a professional tennis player at 15. She received sponsorships from Babolat and Adidas, made it to the finals of Wimbledon, and joined the US Fed Cup team all before a foot injury at the age of 18 ended her career.

Many people have wondered how turning pro at such a young age has affected Ally’s life, but few people think about how it has affected those closest to her.

When Ally was 14, she moved from her hometown of Raleigh, NC, to Everett Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fl. Lenox’s mother and father split time with Ally, while the other stayed with Lenox in Raleigh. Lenox traveled to Florida or to Ally’s competitions or press releases on weekend and holidays.

“I never really thought about the fact that my childhood was a lot different than most until I came to college,” Lenox said. “My friends from high school traveled with me sometimes, so they were kind of used to it too.”

On the other hand, Lenox can remember a specific time when one of Ally’s events affected her life. Ally was playing in an AIDS benefit and Elton John and Billie Jean King were her “coaches” for the match. Lenox got to sit by Elton John on the bench, but she was not happy about it because she was missing her eighth grade dance.

“Looking back on it, it is hilarious and I’m so glad I skipped my eighth grade dance to go, but at the time I was absolutely furious I was missing it,” Lenox said.

Lenox is currently a senior broadcast journalism major at Ole Miss. She randomly decided to attend Ole Miss after one visit because she was eager to meet new people.

Lenox has never been shy or had a problem making friends. Her mother believes this is partially because she traveled a lot and gained a passion for and curiosity about people, which also led her to pursue a degree in broadcast journalism.

“Lenox has always been incredibly independent, which made traveling with Ally possible,” said Leigh Baker, Lenox’s mother. “She would meet older girls at the pool or at camp and hire her own babysitters. When she came along, she would make a friend at every training facility or tournament, some were German or Russian, all different ages.”

Many of Lenox’s best friends she has made in college did not know about her unique childhood until months after they met, but most say that they can tell that it has helped shape the person she is today.

“One day Lenox just nonchalantly spit out that her sister had won Wimbledon, like it was no big deal,” said Sara Frances Wilson, Lenox’s roommate. “Lenox is seriously the girl who has never met a stranger. She can find something she has in common with anyone, and I think that has a lot to do with how she was raised.”