Thea Frodin debuts US Open, ex-'King Richard' double

Seventeen-year-old Thea Frodin made her Grand Slam singles debut at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, facing a formidable challenge against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina. The match, held on the Grandstand court, marked a significant step in Frodin's burgeoning tennis career, transitioning from her past role as a body double for a young Serena Williams in the 2021 film "King Richard" to competing on one of tennis's biggest stages as herself. Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, proved too strong for the wildcard entrant, winning the first-round match 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 14 minutes. Despite the loss, Frodin expressed optimism about the experience. "I feel good," Frodin said after the match. "Obviously, I'm disappointed to be out first round, or this soon, but I feel like I had a great experience playing on Grandstand and home crowd, and a lot of people were cheering for me." She added that she had a lot of positives to take away and was excited with most of the things she accomplished. Frodin earned her spot in the U.S. Open main draw by winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls 18s National Championships.