Five years ago, Thea Frodin was on a movie set in Hollywood, recreating the strokes of one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Today, she will step onto a tennis court at the US Open and make her Grand Slam main draw debut.

For Frodin, the journey to the US Open has been shaped by Southern California at nearly every turn. It is where she developed as a junior, won her first major USTA SoCal titles, filmed King Richard, earned her first WTA ranking point and, just weeks ago, captured the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championship at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego. The Woodland Hills native defeated Janae Preston 6-1, 6-0 in the final, earning a wild card into the US Open women’s singles main draw, where she will face world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in her Grand Slam debut.

From the Southern California junior circuit to some of the biggest stages in international tennis, with a little Hollywood in between, Frodin has already experienced a career’s worth of unforgettable moments at just 17 years old. She is the youngest American in the US Open women’s singles draw and the second youngest teenager amongst the men’s and women’s fields, making her debut one of the most intriguing youth storylines in this year’s tournament. Now, she is taking everything she has learned at home to the Big Apple.

“I’ve only dreamed of moments like this. The fact that I’m here right now, and able to experience it in real life, is still a little bit shocking to me,” Frodin told US Open. “To be standing here right now and actually getting a chance to play in the main draw, it means everything. She’s No. 2 for a reason, so I’m expecting a battle. Hopefully, I can bring out my best level against her.”

The moment may be new, but the foundation is not.

A Southern California Start

Frodin picked up a racquet at six and quickly emerged as one of Southern California’s most promising young players. She came through the USTA SoCal junior pathway, following a tradition that has launched generations of players to the highest levels of the sport. By the time she was competing in the 10-and-under division, she was already making her mark.

In 2019, Frodin won the Girls’ 10s singles title at the USTA Southern California Junior Sectionals. She also captured the Girls’ 10s doubles title with Sophie Suh (Orange) and the mixed doubles title with Adrian Sharma (Porter Ranch).

Those three victories made Frodin a Junior Sectionals Triple Crown winner, an accomplishment reserved for players who win the singles, gender doubles, and mixed doubles championships in the same year. It was an extraordinary accomplishment for a young player, but it would soon lead to an opportunity that had nothing to do with a tournament trophy.

Not long after, her tennis took her somewhere completely unexpected.

Frodin’s success at the 10-and-under level caught the attention of producers casting the 2021 film King Richard, the story of Richard Williams and the rise of his daughters, Venus and Serena Williams. At 12, Frodin was invited to audition as the tennis body double for actress Demi Singleton, who portrayed a young Serena.

She got the part. For approximately six months, Frodin spent several days a week on set, replicating Serena Williams’ strokes and movement. She even shared scenes with Will Smith, who portrayed Richard Williams and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.

The experience was especially fitting for a young Southern California tennis player. King Richard was filmed throughout the region, bringing the Williams family’s story to life against the backdrop of the same Southern California tennis culture that had helped shape Frodin.

“I just remember it being a blast,” Frodin told WTA. “Being able to play tennis and be on camera, two great combos. I truly had such an amazing time.”

For a young tennis player from Woodland Hills, it was a remarkable detour. But it also created an unexpected challenge. After spending months studying and recreating Serena’s technique, Frodin found herself bringing some of those movements back onto the court.

“After I was done shooting, I kind of got used to her strokes a little bit,” Frodin told the US Open. “My coaches were a little bit frustrated with me because I naturally started to hit like her.”

Eventually, Frodin returned to her own game, and that game has taken her a long way since.

Building a Name of Her Own

While King Richard introduced Frodin to a global audience, her tennis career continued to develop away from the cameras.

She became a highly ranked junior, represented the United States in international junior competition, and began collecting results on some of the most prestigious stages in junior tennis.

In 2025, Frodin reached the girls’ doubles final at Wimbledon alongside fellow Southern Californian Julieta Pareja of Carlsbad. She also won the Banana Bowl, one of the most prestigious junior tournaments in South America.

Then came 2026.

Frodin reached the girls’ singles semifinals at the Australian Open, her best junior Grand Slam singles result to date. She also began making her presence felt on the professional circuit, earning her first WTA ranking points and competing in professional events.

Still, the biggest breakthrough came back in Southern California.

At the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships, Frodin entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and faced one of the deepest fields in junior tennis. She beat five seeded players on her way to the championship, including Pareja in the semifinals, before taking down Preston in the final.

The championship continued a remarkable Southern California connection.

The USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships have been held in San Diego for years. They are widely regarded as one of the most important events on the American junior calendar. The tournament has produced a remarkable list of future stars, including Lindsay Davenport, Tracy Austin, Coco Gauff, Iva Jovic, and Southern California standouts who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

Frodin is now the latest name to join that list. Her victory also gave her something she had been working toward for years: a spot in the US Open main draw.

After winning the championship, Frodin was asked whether she would rather face a seeded player on Arthur Ashe Stadium or a qualifier on a back court. Her answer was unmistakable. 

“I’m going with a seeded player on Arthur Ashe. I want it all. Bring it on!” she said.

She got her wish, although not quite on Ashe.

From playing Serena to Playing Alongside Her

Frodin’s US Open debut will come against Rybakina, the No. 2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion.

It is a daunting assignment for a player competing in her first WTA main draw match, but Frodin appears more excited than intimidated.

“I’m trying to stay in the moment as much as possible,” she told WTA. “But at the same time, I feel like I’m really excited, because this is the moment that I’ve only dreamed of.”

There is another full circle moment waiting for her in New York.

Serena Williams is also at this year’s US Open, competing alongside sister Venus in the women’s doubles draw.

Frodin has never actually met either Williams sister, despite spending six months portraying a young Serena on a Hollywood set.

Now, the possibility of finally meeting her childhood idol is closer than ever.

“Being able to play the role of somebody that I looked up to for my whole life was super special,” Frodin said. “I was honored. She was one of the players that I looked up to most, just when I was starting to play, and she’s such an inspiration to me.”

Frodin has said that simply meeting Serena would be a dream. Hitting with her would be even better.

But whatever happens in New York, Frodin’s story is no longer about playing someone else.

The young girl who once won the Girls’ 10s Junior Sectionals in Southern California is now walking onto the US Open court as a champion in her own right.

Her path has taken her from Woodland Hills to Hollywood, from USTA Southern California junior tournaments to San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Center, from replicating Serena Williams’ strokes to developing a game all her own.

And now, five years after King Richard, Thea Frodin gets to write the next scene herself.

This time, there are no cameras, no script, and no body double. Just Thea Frodin, a tennis racquet, and the biggest stage of her young career.