Thea Frodin, a 17-year-old competitor at the U.S. Open, revealed Tuesday that she has not received any acknowledgment from Serena Williams, despite having served as the younger Williams' body double in the 2021 film "King Richard."
Following her debut match at the U.S. Open, where she lost to Elena Rybakina, Frodin was asked about any potential congratulations from Williams. "Not yet, but hopefully soon," Frodin responded. "There was obviously a lot of other things happening in that movie, and so I’m sure she was caught up with that, but yeah, no."
Frodin reportedly worked on the set of "King Richard" multiple times a week for six months, replicating the tennis strokes of a young Serena Williams as portrayed by actor Demi Singleton. It has been previously understood that Frodin never met Serena Williams in person, either during filming or afterward.
This lack of contact is notable as Frodin now competes in the same tournament where Williams achieved her first Grand Slam singles title. Williams herself was also competing in the U.S. Open, scheduled to play doubles with her sister Venus Williams.
Frodin clarified that her comments were factual and not intended as criticism. She did mention receiving a social media repost from Will Smith, who earned an Academy Award for his role as Richard Williams, Serena and Venus's father.