Thea Frodin Makes U.S. Open Singles Debut After Playing Serena Williams in 'King Richard'

From Body Double to Center Court

Thea Frodin is making her S. Open singles debut against the No. 2 player in women's tennis, a moment years in the making for the 17-year-old from Los Angeles. But Frodin's path to this week's tournament is anything but ordinary: she has already played the role of Serena Williams on screen, serving as a body double in the 2021 film "King Richard."

In the film, Frodin was the on-court double for actor Demi Singleton, who played the younger Williams. Now, she will face Elena Rybakina in her opening match, scheduled for Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

"I've worked so hard to try and get to this level, and to have an opportunity like this is just really special for me," Frodin said Monday in a phone interview, as quoted by several outlets.

Frodin's tournament success earned her a wild card into the S. Open field: she won the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 18s National Championships, as reported by multiple news organizations. It was also tournament tennis that led to her film role. Playing at the 10-and-under level in California, she won sectional titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, and was then invited to audition for the part.

"I was on set for six months and I got to be alongside some really cool actors and obviously Will Smith, and just the whole experience was super cool for me," Frodin said, referring to the actor who played Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. She called it "truly, like, a very special experience" to play the double of someone she has "always been inspired by."

Smith later won an Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams, according to multiple reports.

A Familiar Swing

The challenge of replicating Serena Williams' strokes turned out to be less about the effort and more about the aftermath. Frodin, who had long watched Williams' career, found it "fairly easy" to mimic her swings, as she told several outlets. But the habit lingered.

"It's actually funny. After I was done with the movie, I actually got into the habit of using, or playing with her strokes, and I couldn't switch back to mine because I was so used to hers," Frodin said. "So my parents — I mean, obviously it's a great person to replicate — but my parents were a little bit upset because I was playing like Serena, so it took me a while to get back to my normal technique."

HuffPost reported that Frodin, cast at age 12 after a standout performance in a California youth tournament, had to "imitate Serena's game" despite her own style being different. In a feature on org, Frodin said she had "only dreamed of moments like this" and that being at the S. Open was "still a little bit shocking" to her.

New Territory on Tour

The match against Rybakina marks Frodin's first at WTA Tour level, having lost in qualifying earlier this year in Miami, according to multiple reports. She played in the S. Open doubles last year. She has not yet met either Serena or Venus Williams, both of whom are competing in women's doubles, as reported by HuffPost.

Frodin has a year left in high school and said she keeps tennis as her primary focus, though her time on set left an impression.

"Obviously, my No. 1 focus always has been tennis, but I've always had this little thought in the back of my mind. I feel like it would be really cool if I could somehow balance both," Frodin said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I mean, I loved every second of being in that kind of environment, of that kind of acting life. I enjoy it a lot and yeah, if it's even possible, I don't mind having it as a side gig."