United News of Bangladesh

Seventeen-year-old Thea Frodin is set to play one of the biggest matches of her young career when she takes on world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in her first US Open singles appearance. It is a huge challenge for the Los Angeles teenager, who once had another connection with one of tennis’ greatest stars — Serena Williams. Frodin served as the on-court body double for Serena’s character in the 2021 film King Richard. Actor Demi Singleton played the younger Serena Williams, while Frodin performed the tennis scenes. Now, instead of copying Serena’s game for a movie, Frodin will step onto the court as herself. “I've worked so hard to try and get to this level, and to have an opportunity like this is just really special for me,” Frodin said. She earned a wild card into the US Open after winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships. Her journey into Hollywood also began through tennis. As a young player in California, Frodin won sectional titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the 10-and-under level. Her success later led to an audition for King Richard. Frodin spent six months on the film set, working alongside several actors, including Will Smith, who won an Oscar for playing Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. Having watched Serena throughout her career, Frodin found it relatively easy to copy the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s strokes. However, she said playing Serena for so long briefly affected her own technique. “After I was done with the movie, I got into the habit of playing with her strokes, and I couldn't switch back to mine,” she said, adding that it took time to return to her natural style. Frodin played in the US Open doubles last year but has never met Serena or Venus Williams. Wednesday’s match against Rybakina will be her first at the WTA Tour level. Earlier this year, she lost in the qualifying round in Miami during her previous attempt to reach a top-level tournament. With one year of high school still remaining, Frodin has not yet decided what comes next. But if Hollywood offers another opportunity, she would be open to balancing acting with tennis. “Tennis has always been my No. 1 focus,” she said. “But I loved being in that acting environment. If it’s possible to balance both, I’d definitely be interested.”