Thea Frodin played Serena Williams’ double in King Richard at age 12; 5 years later, after winning the US Junior title that earned her a US Open wild card, she plays against No. 2 Elena Rybakin.

Thea Frodinová debuts at the US Open in singles At just 17 years old, Thea Frodin is about to step onto one of the biggest tennis stages in the world – and her opponent is none other than Elena Rybakina, the No. 2 player in women’s tennis.But Frodin is no stranger to the spotlight.Before making her US Open singles debut, the Los Angeles teenager was already playing Serena Williams on the big screen — sort of.

When she was in Hollywood

Frodin was the tennis stunt double of Demi Singleton, who portrayed the young Serena Williams in the 2021 film “King Richard” starring Will Smith.This experience took her to the cinema for six months, where she worked alongside major Hollywood actors.“I was on set for six months and I got to be with some really great actors and of course Will Smith, and the whole experience was great for me,” Frodin said. “And of course, being able to play a body double or a role of someone that I look up to and that has always inspired me was a really, really special experience for me.”But there was one unexpected problem: Frodin had gotten so used to copying Serena’s moves that she then struggled to play with her own technique.“It’s actually funny. After I finished the movie, I actually got used to using her moves or playing with them and I couldn’t go back to mine because I was so used to hers,” Frodin said. “So my parents — I mean, he’s obviously a great person to replicate — but my parents were a little upset because I was playing like Serena, so it took me a while to get back to my normal technique.

He is now at the US Open

Now Frodin is creating his own tennis story.“I’ve worked so hard to try to get to this level, and to have an opportunity like this is really special to me,” Frodin said in a phone interview Monday.Her opportunity at the US Open came after she won the USTA Billie Jean King Under-18 Girls National Championship and earned a wild card.And while tennis remains her priority, Frodin hasn’t ruled out another appearance in Hollywood.“Obviously my No. 1 goal has always been tennis, but I’ve always had that little thought in the back of my mind. I feel like it would be really cool if I could kind of balance both,” Frodin said. “I mean, I loved every second of being in that kind of environment, that kind of acting life. I really enjoy it and yeah, if it’s even possible, I don’t mind having it as a side gig, you know?”