Teen who played young Serena in 'King Richard' makes US Open debut
Thea Frodin, the 17-year-old who once portrayed a young Serena Williams on the big screen, stepped onto the court for her first main-draw singles match at a Grand Slam on Tuesday, falling to world No. 2 Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-2.
Frodin, who hails from California, earned her place in the US Open field by winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 18s National Championships, a result that secured her a wildcard into the tournament. The 17-year-old has also reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open girls' singles this year and made her WTA Tour qualifying debut in Miami, where she lost a three-set match to Viktorija Golubic.
From Hollywood to the hard court
In the 2021 filmKing Richard, Frodin served as the body double for actor Demi Singleton, who played a young Serena Williams. The role, which she landed after winning singles, doubles, and mixed doubles sectional titles at the 10-and-under level in California, involved six months on set alongside Will Smith, who portrayed Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus.
"Being able to play the role of somebody that I looked up to for my whole life was super special," Frodin told the WTA website. "I was honoured. She was one of the players that I looked up to most, just when I was starting to play. She's such an inspiration to me."
Frodin said the experience, while memorable, had an unexpected side effect: she picked up Williams' strokes and struggled to revert to her own technique. "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," she 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..."
A competitive debut
Against Rybakina, a two-time major winner and reigning Australian Open champion, Frodin showed her own power, firing 11 aces — nearly double the tally of one of the best servers in women's tennis. She saved three match points before Rybakina closed out the match on her fourth match point with her sixth ace.
Despite the loss, Rybakina acknowledged Frodin's potential. "She has a powerful game and is dangerous with her shots," Rybakina said, according to 7NEWS.
Frodin, who is six-foot (183cm) tall, said her aggressive style is natural. "I feel I have always been an aggressive player. That's always been kind of my game, just to be aggressive," she said. "Obviously my height gives me the chance to serve bigger."
She also addressed the attention that comes with her movie connection. "I think it's hard to get away from all of that. It's kind of just about accepting it and not letting it get to you," Frodin said. "I feel like I did a good job of that."
Frodin has not met Serena or Venus Williams, but noted that Will Smith reposted one of her social media posts. She plans to return to junior tennis for now. With fans in the Grandstand chanting her name, Frodin said the atmosphere felt familiar. "I'm trying to stay in the moment as much as possible," she said. "This is a huge opportunity for me to enjoy the moment, have fun and see what I can do. The atmosphere, how loud the crowd will be, I feel like I fit well in that environment."