From ‘King Richard’ to US Open: Thea Frodin played Serena’s body double 5 years ago

At just 17, Thea Frodin is about to walk onto one of the biggest tennis stages in the world — and her opponent is none other than Elena Rybakina, the No. 2 player in women's tennis.But Frodin isn't exactly a stranger to the spotlight.Before making her U.S. Open singles debut, the Los Angeles teenager had already played Serena Williams on the big screen — sort of.When she was in HollywoodFrodin was the tennis body double for Demi Singleton, who portrayed a young Serena Williams in the 2021 movie “King Richard”, starring Will Smith.The experience took her to a movie set for six months, where she worked alongside major Hollywood actors.“I was on set for six months and I got to be alongside some really cool actors and obviously Will Smith, and just the whole experience was super cool for me,” Frodin said.