Frodin's Inspiring Tennis Journey: From Stunt Double to Court Star

She walked onto the court with no grand plan, no sweeping declaration about making a statement. Just a simple idea.

“I tried going out there to see what it would be like just to, I guess, feel no pressure ... just go out there and have a fun time,” Frodin said.

On a stage that has swallowed up far more seasoned players, that mindset mattered. The teenager didn’t shrink. She swung freely, chased everything, and left with something more valuable than a single result: belief.

“I feel like that’s what I accomplished, and obviously I have a lot to learn, but I’m excited with most of the things I did out there.”

Across the net, Elena Rybakina saw it too. The established star, used to brushing aside newcomers, didn’t dismiss this one. She praised her young opponent, saying Frodin “played really well today” — a simple line, but one that carries weight when it comes from a major champion.

For Frodin, this is already a life that seems pulled from a script. As a 12-year-old, she worked as the stunt and body double for Demi Singleton, the actress who played young Serena Williams in the film about Richard Williams and the rise of Serena and Venus. Back then, she was mimicking the movements of a legend on a movie set.

Now she is trying to carve out her own path on an actual court.

She has not met Serena Williams yet, though she hopes that moment will come. It fits the arc of her story: from doubling for a fictional young Serena to trading shots with one of today’s top players. But for all the cinematic touches, her real life is still firmly grounded in the everyday concerns of a teenager.

Frodin has not decided whether her future runs through college tennis or a full dive into the professional ranks. There is no rush in her voice, no forced urgency about turning potential into paychecks.

“I think I’m trying to just finish high school, see where the rest of this year takes me,” she said. “I’m not rushing into kind of making a decision with all that.”

The match against Rybakina, though, has clearly lit something. The gap in experience was obvious, yet so was the promise. She left the court not satisfied, but hungry.