Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Zendaya, Mike Feist, Josh O’Connor
Tennis has caught another wave of popularity. Netflix is releasing two seasons of a documentary about the top players on the women’s and men’s tours, and MGM is simultaneously announcing the filming of a feature film starring Zendaya. Her heroine Tasha and the girl’s two admirers (Feist and O’Connor) are at the center of the plot. They are all tennis players, but the love triangle that existed in their youth falls apart. Tasha becomes the wife of one of them, and at the same time his coach. Many years later, former rivals meet each other on the court.
The filmmakers wanted maximum sports authenticity. Filming took place in Boston, and the local casting agency, without telling details about the future film, recruited everyone who could portray line judges, ball boys, coaches, other tennis players, tournament officials, spectators, sports commentators, journalists, and at the same time experienced tennis players who could become understudies for the main actors.
An understudy was also selected for Zendaya, but the 26-year-old actress trained for three months under the guidance of the famous Brad Gilbert, the former fourth racket of the world and coach of such players as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. According to director Guadagnino, Gilbert trained Zendaya so well that very few shots of the double during editing made it into the final version.
Interesting fact: all the actresses who played the roles of Spider-Man’s girlfriends later ended up in films about tennis. Kirsten Dunst played the role in Wimbledon, Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes, and in 2024 it was Zendaya’s turn.
Tags: Zendaya Challengers great films tennis
