For 17-year-old American tennis player Thea Frodin, the US Open singles debut against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina on Tuesday marks a full-circle moment. Frodin, who plays herself in her first Grand Slam singles match, previously served as the on-court body double for actress Demi Singleton, who portrayed a young Serena Williams in the 2021 film "King Richard."
"I always have been such a big fan of hers," Frodin said of Serena Williams, as quoted by USOpen.org. "I was super honored to play the role of somebody that I look up to and admire. It must be amazing to be someone who has made such an impact on our sport. What Serena has done for all of us is something that I can't even grasp."
Frodin earned her wild card into the US Open by winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 18s National Championships. Her victory in the 10-and-under level in California, which included singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles, led to her audition for the film.
"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 told The Associated Press. "And obviously to be able to play the double, or the role of somebody that I look up to and I have always been inspired by was truly, like, a very special experience for me."
Will Smith won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. Frodin found that replicating Serena Williams' strokes for the film was relatively easy due to her familiarity with the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion's game. However, she noted that adopting Williams' technique began to affect her own play after filming concluded.
"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."
Frodin, who participated in the US Open doubles last year, has not yet met Serena or Venus Williams. The upcoming match against Rybakina will be her first at the WTA Tour level. She previously lost in the qualifying rounds in Miami earlier this year.
Frodin still has a year left of high school and has not finalized her post-graduation plans. She expressed openness to pursuing acting opportunities if they arise.
"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. "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 that as a side gig, you know?"
