Twelve-year-old Thea has her eyes set on a professional tennis-career

Seeing young people pursue their passions, doing something they love, and being empowered to make healthy choices is at the core of our work at Mentor USA. We are therefore very happy to have gotten the chance to speak with Thea, who is currently ranked as the #1 tennis player for her age in the U.S., about her goals, inspirations, and how she manages both tennis and school.

13 September 2021 | News

Thea Frodin lives in California, her father is Swedish, and her mother was born in France and raised in Gabon.

At only twelve years old Thea Frodin is ranked as the #1 tennis player of her age in the U.S. and with inspirations and role models like Naomi Osaka, she already has her eyes set on a career as a full-time professional tennis player.

Thea, who started playing tennis at the age of six, usually wakes up at around 5 am to fit in both tennis practice and schoolwork during her day. However, in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, she stressed that she rather practice fewer hours, but with better quality. She also said that more practice hours could possibly increase the risk of injuries.

When asked how she balances her ambitions of becoming a professional tennis player with school Thea describes how she usually will do her studying in between or after practice, and sometimes even on the weekends. Weekends that aren’t filled with a tournament or schoolwork is usually spent on the beach or with friends.

If I don't have a tournament on the weekend, we got to the beach or spend time with friends.

Thea Frodin
Thea Frodin tennis
After a full day of tennis, fitness, and schoolwork, Thea likes to play with her dogs.

Theas big inspiration and role model when it comes to tennis is Naomi Osaka. Not only does she look up to her as an amazing tennis player who fights until the end, Thea also admires that she is a very kind person.

With the goal of becoming a full-time professional tennis player getting the right support and mentoring is important. For Thea, that comes from her father Mathias.

I would say my dad is my biggest supporter and motivator because he comes with me to every tournament I play, he supports me and he helps me improve and get better.

Thea Frodin

As usual, we had to finish off by asking Thea to share her favorite inspirational quote. Hardly surprising coming from such a motivated and hardworking young person, Thea likes the quote; “Hard work is the way to success”.

We warmly thank Thea for taking the time to talk with us! We look forward to following Thea’s already great career as well as her inspiring passion for living a healthy and productive life!

Watch the full video interview with Thea in Aftonbladet

Are you between 13-24 years of age and want to share your passion for sports, poetry, or any other drug-free activity for a chance to win amazing prizes? Check out our ‘Living the Example National Video Contest’!