In brief
Thea Frodin, who stepped onto the set of ‘King Richard’ at age 12 as Serena Williams’ stand‑in, is now set to face world number 2 Elena Rybakina at the 2026 US Open main‑draw singles. After winning the USTA Girls 18s title and making the Australian Open junior semi‑finals, Frodin earned a wildcard into the biggest event of her career. The teenage player, ranked 580th, speaks of the honour of playing before a crowd that will thunder as the Williams sisters prepare to battle in doubles. Whilst she has yet to meet Venus and Serena, Frodin hopes to do so during the fortnight, a dream that fuels her confidence going into her first‑round match.
From playing Serena Williams on screen to following in her footsteps
Thea Frodin, 17‑year‑old from the U.S., has transitioned from a film set to the court, following a path once trod by her childhood idol.
Five years ago, Frodin was the body‑double for the teenage Serena in the Oscar‑nominated movie King Richard. The then‑12‑year‑old worked alongside Will Smith while his character portrayed Serena’s father, Richard Williams. She remembers the shoot as “super special” and once said she felt “honoured” to mimic a player she had admired all her life.
That experience gave her a taste of the pressure, the crowd and the intensity that make Grand Slam events unforgettable. Now, she’s set to make her main‑draw singles debut at her home Grand Slam – the US Open – where the Williams sisters will team up in the doubles.
Frodin’s first‑round match pits her against world number two Elena Rybakina, a two‑time major champion and the reigning Australian Open winner. She says she wants to stay present, to “enjoy the moment” and to see how far she can take the match against a top‑tier opponent.
Describing her training, Frodin recalls the heat of the film set – “hot water was brought to keep us warm” – and notes how the coaching team had to help her find her own style after adopting Serena’s strokes for a time.
Frodin earned her wild‑card by winning the USTA Girls 18s National Championships and has already logged strong results: a semi‑final appearance at the Australian Open junior singles and a challenging first‑round at the Miami WTA Tour where she pushed then‑world‑number‑35 Viktorija Golubic in three sets.
She says that drawing an opponent like Rybakina is “a battle” and that she hopes to play to her best level. While she has yet to meet Venus and Serena Williams, Frodin is hoping to change that during the fortnight, dreaming of the chance to play or just meet them.
With the crowd at Flushing Meadows ready to roar, Thea Frodin is onto a historic moment that will define the future of a rising tennis prodigy.
