Thea Frodin, 17, played her first main-draw singles match at the 2026 US Open on September 1, losing 6-1, 6-1 to world number two Elena Rybakina at Arthur Ashe Stadium [1, 2].
Frodin earned a wildcard into the tournament by winning the USTA Girls' 18s National Championships [3, 1, 2]. Before turning to professional competition, she acted as a body double for a young Serena Williams in the 2021 Oscar-nominated film King Richard, which starred Will Smith [3, 1, 2]. Smith reposted one of her social media posts prior to her US Open debut [1, 2].
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is competing in doubles alongside her sister Venus at this year's US Open [3, 1, 2]. Although Frodin has not yet met Williams in person, she said, "Hopefully I can get the chance soon to get the opportunity to meet her" [1].
Reflecting on her experience on the film set, Frodin said, "It was a fun experience to kind of see how the best players in the world, how they hit their balls and their shots" [1]. She also commented on handling expectations, saying, "I think it's hard to get away from all of that. It's kind of just about accepting it and not letting it get to you" [2].
Frodin plans to compete in the girls’ US Open next week and intends to finish high school before deciding whether to turn professional or play college tennis. "I'm not rushing into kind of making a decision with all that. I'm taking this year and next year to finish high school and then see where I am then," she said [1, 2].
