Thea Frodin, who played young Serena in King Richard, set for US Open main-draw debut
On August 31, 2026, 17-year-old Thea Frodin will make her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the US Open and faces world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who has recovered from an ankle injury suffered at the Cincinnati Open. Five years after portraying a young Serena Williams in the 2021 film King Richard, Frodin arrives in the main draw having earned a wild card.
Frodin secured the wild card by winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls' 18s National Championships in San Diego earlier this month, beating Janae Preston 6-1, 6-0 in the final. Born and raised in Southern California, she first picked up a tennis racquet at six and now trains full-time in Nashville. She is currently ranked around No. 580 in the world.
Her junior résumé includes reaching the girls' singles semi-finals at the Australian Open earlier this year and finishing runner-up in the girls' doubles at Wimbledon in 2025. Long before her Grand Slam debut, she was connected to Serena Williams through film: at 12 she was selected as Serena's tennis body and stunt double for King Richard and spent around six months working on the production. During that time she had to replicate Serena's strokes and adopted elements of the American legend's technique.
Frodin has described Serena as someone she has always admired, and Serena is also in New York this year competing alongside sister Venus in the women's doubles. The tournament setting therefore pairs Frodin's personal history with immediate proximity to the player she once portrayed on screen.
Standing in her way is Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam champion, presenting a major challenge for a player making her first appearance in a major main draw. Frodin acknowledged the task ahead: “She’s No. 2 for a reason, so I’m expecting a battle. Hopefully, I can bring out my best level against her,” Frodin said.
From portraying a young Serena on screen to walking onto the US Open stage herself, Frodin will now attempt to forge her own path at the tournament. Her next match is the US Open first-round meeting with Elena Rybakina.
