In March of last year, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) dropped some diversity facts about the boom in tennis participation in the U.S. since 2019. The study revealed that this boom included a 90% increase in the number of tennis players of Hispanic/Latino descent, a 46% increase in Black tennis players, and a 37% increase in tennis players of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. In 2021, amidst the boom, we got a brilliant film about Richard Williams and his determination for his two daughters, Venus and Serena, to make a name for themselves in the tennis world: King Richard.
Three years later, we are given the fantastic film that is Challengers. The new movie is a blast with excellent tennis matches and a torrid love triangle for the ages. As a film lover, I find this film sexy. As an athlete, I find this film sexy! If “for the love of the game” were a person, Zendaya’s rendition of Tashi Duncan would be it. Her first love is and always will be tennis. I’m here for it.
From Academy Award and BAFTA nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, whose films are characterized by their emotional complexity, sensuality, and magnificent visuals, comes his latest film, Challengers. The film stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after a devastating injury sidelines her. But Tashi has game on and off the court and transforms her husband Art Donaldson (Mike Faist, West Side Story) from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. She makes him play a challenger event to jolt him out of his recent losing streak. Tashi wants her husband to be the best. To do that, he must face off against the washed-up Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor, The Crown) — his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. Tensions soon run high as their pasts and presents collide, and they wrestle with the cost of winning and what each is willing to give up.
There is a magnetic and beautiful intensity that flows through Challengers. We see that intensity through the tennis matches and relationships. We see it in how these characters focus on their passion and goals. It draws us in and keeps our attention. We also see it in the way these characters approach love and desire. The way Zendaya, Faist, and O’Connor can say so much through their facial expressions is a gift from the highest power. Just as the volley between tennis players can be mesmerizing, watching these characters go through the battles of life and competition is somewhat enticing. They are all so unhinged, and it’s fascinating to see how their choices unfold.
Tashi can no longer do the one thing she loves. She has to find a way to redefine herself. She’s doing her best to control everything, control her emotions, and get what she wants and needs out of life. There are a lot of women that will see themselves in Tashi. I know I do. Tashi Duncan is a mighty, fierce, uncompromising, competitive, ambitious woman, and Zendaya did her thing and brought her to life. Not only does she give an incredible performance, but Zendaya is also credited as a producer on the film.
The theme of competition (friendly or not) runs through Challengers. Tashi has the physicality, self-confidence, and power that brings the competitive side out of everyone she meets. Patrick and Art have known each other since they were pre-teen roommates at a tennis academy, but still, competition kicks in. The two best friends are entranced. As any athlete knows, healthy competition is good for us. It encourages us to work harder, push ourselves, and strive to be the best version of ourselves. It motivates us by giving us a target or goal. Losing is also part of that learning. This theme is so powerful because we don’t just see it play out on the court but in the bedroom, the locker room, and everywhere in between.
Challengers is just as fun to hear as it is to watch. The dialogue is slick and modern. It hosts some of the best comebacks and jabs from a character in a film I’ve heard in a while. Zendaya nails the delivery every time. The cinematography is just as exciting, with a clean, stylized look courtesy of cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria). In addition to exciting performances, the capture of the tennis matches is incredible. The choices Mukdeeprom and Guadagnino made to capture everything from the racket in the hand to the tennis ball on the court and the longing glances to the windstorm that echoes the scene’s emotions were spot on. The triangle love story is complete with a charged score by two-time Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network, Pixar’s Soul). It energizes and electrifies the scenes even more.
Another thing that makes Challengers so good is its interweaving storyline that travels back and forth in these characters’ lives — framed around the revelatory tennis match between Art and Patrick that takes place 13 years after they meet Tashi. Through a narrative that tracks past to present, we see the paths they took, the games they played, and the passions they followed. Tashi’s emotional and romantic power both pivots and anchors their connection. The chemistry between all three is fantastic. Using nonlinear storytelling helps build the intensity of everything, from the relationships to the final tennis match. That connection between the characters is clear and compelling.
As kids, we all have ideas about what we want to be when we grow up. I was sure I wanted to be a doctor and play soccer in college. But life happens, and I adjusted. That’s what makes Challengers so fantastic and relatable, with themes of uncertainty and branching possibility that people can gravitate to. From one volley to the next, Challengers will keep you entertained. The question is: are you team Art or team Patrick?
Challengers slides into theaters on April 26, 2024.
