Five years after helping bring a young Serena Williams to life on the big screen, 17-year-old Thea Frodin is preparing to write the next chapter of her own tennis story at the US Open.
Frodin, who was just 12 when she worked as a tennis-playing body double in the Oscar-nominated film King Richard, will make her Grand Slam main-draw singles debut on home soil on Tuesday.
Her reward for reaching the tournament is a daunting first-round assignment against world number two Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion and a two-time Grand Slam winner.
The teenager earned her place in the US Open field through a wildcard after winning the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Girls’ 18s National Championships.
Her rapid rise has come after a series of promising performances on the junior and professional circuits.
Earlier this year, Frodin reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open girls’ singles, recording her best junior Grand Slam result, before making her WTA Tour qualifying debut as a wildcard in Miami.
She also pushed former world number 35 Viktorija Golubic to three sets in Miami, giving an early indication that she could compete against experienced players on the professional circuit.
Yet her unusual connection to the Williams family remains one of the most intriguing parts of her journey.
Frodin spent around six months working several days a week on the set of King Richard, alongside Will Smith, who portrayed Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus.
The experience had such an influence on her tennis that she temporarily began adopting Serena’s playing style.
“I got used to her strokes,” Frodin told the US Open website, recalling how her coaches had to help her return to her natural game after filming ended.
She particularly picked up Serena’s backhand, despite efforts to rediscover the strokes that came naturally to her.
Frodin now has the chance to create a defining moment of her own, although the challenge could hardly be greater.
Rybakina enters the contest as one of the leading players in the women’s game, leaving Frodin with nothing to lose as she steps onto the biggest stage of her young career.
“I’m trying to stay in the moment as much as possible,” Frodin said, describing the match as a huge opportunity to enjoy herself and test her level.
The teenager is also relishing the prospect of playing in front of the famously loud New York crowd, believing the atmosphere could suit her aggressive style.
Adding another layer to the occasion, Serena and Venus Williams are competing together in the US Open doubles this year.
Frodin has never met either sister but hopes her appearance at the tournament could finally give her the opportunity to meet the players who inspired her journey.
“Hopefully, if I get a chance to hit with them or just meet them, anything, I’ll take it,” she said.
For Frodin, the US Open is therefore more than a Grand Slam debut. It is an opportunity to move from playing the tennis of her childhood hero on a film set to competing among the sport’s best in real life.
