Thea Frodin once portrayed a young Serena Williams on the big screen. Now, the American teenager is preparing to follow in her childhood idol’s footsteps with her US Open main-draw debut.
Five years ago, Frodin was selected as a tennis-playing body double for the actress who played Serena in the Oscar-nominated film King Richard. At the time, the 12-year-old worked alongside Will Smith, who portrayed Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams.
“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 will now make her main-draw singles debut at her home Grand Slam. Serena and Venus Williams are also set to team up in the US Open doubles this year, adding further significance to the occasion.
The teenager faces a formidable first-round opponent in world number two Elena Rybakina, a two-time major winner and the reigning Australian Open champion.
“I’m trying to stay in the moment as much as possible,” said Frodin. “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.”
