By Janina Nuno Rios
NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Thea Frodin made her U.S. Open debut on Tuesday but one dream remains unfulfilled for the 17-year-old, who is still waiting to meet Serena Williams five years after appearing as the American’s tennis double in the film “King Richard”.
Serena, a 23-times Grand Slam champion, returned to the court for the first time in nearly four years at the Queen’s Club Championships in London in June and is back at Flushing Meadows competing in doubles with sister Venus.
“Hopefully I can get the chance soon to get the opportunity to meet her,” Frodin told reporters after losing 6-1 6-1 to world number two Elena Rybakina on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Frodin earned a wildcard for the U.S. Open by winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships, and while her Grand Slam debut against Rybakina was a harsh introduction to life at the elite level, she said it was a valuable lesson for her career.
“It was a fun experience to kind of see how the best players in the world, how they hit their balls and their shots,” she said.
“My goal on court is always to have an aggressive game style. Today I feel like it was a bit harder to bring that out. Hopefully the next time I can be more experienced and see what I can do.”
Frodin said she had managed to handle the attention surrounding her unusual connection to Serena, though acknowledged it was difficult to escape the headlines before her debut.
“I think it’s hard to get away from all of that. It’s kind of just about accepting it and not letting it get to you,” she added.
Actor Will Smith, who won an Academy Award for playing Serena’s father Richard Williams in the film, reposted one of Frodin’s social media posts before her match, something she described as “pretty cool”.
Frodin plans to play the girls’ U.S. Open next week and finish high school before deciding whether to turn professional or play college tennis.
“I’m not rushing into kind of making a decision with all that,” she said. “I’m taking this year and next year to finish high school and then see where I am then.”
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New York;Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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