Are you willing to do what it takes to become a champion?
That is the key question behind Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. In this romantic sports drama, we track the lives of three talented tennis players who intertwine the lines between tennis and intimacy—and are willing to do whatever it takes to reach the top of the mountain.
Challengers is headlined by its talented, young, and attractive cast. Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a prodigal tennis star that has the whole world ready to bow to her every whim. That motif is illustrated as her co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist are doing anything they can to be a part of her universe. O’Conner and Faust play Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson, respectively, who are not only best friends, but have risen through the junior ranks together. They meet Tashi at the US Open as champion juniors, and we clearly see how each of these characters find their role in this delectable love triangle. Guadagnino has said himself, “This film is about a love triangle where all the corners touch.”
Sports dramas are typically very tough to pull off. With much hinging on the authenticity of your actors, and as someone who works for a sports betting company, the authenticity is there. All three of the leads display a feel for the game of tennis and look the part. Life-long tennis fans will appreciate the recognition of the Cincinnati Open being a major tune up before the US Open, as well as the explanation of a challenger event. Personally, what I appreciated most was how these players were depicted at different points in their careers. This allowed the viewers to follow the players on their journey through maturity and see the effects of such a competitive sport growing up.
Tashi is an extremely tough role to pull off, but Zendaya does a fantastic job being the tough-love wife/coach to Art Donaldson. However, she meets her match with Art’s childhood best friend Patrick, who constantly tests her. O’Connor does a masterful job playing an absolutely detestable tennis burnout. He is sweaty, living out of his car and cruising dating apps for his next meal—but, even with all this, you can’t seem to hate him. He brings an attractive alpha energy that Tashi both can’t stand, and simultaneously is drawn to.
One of the stars of the film isn’t a person, but the production design. Each local feels authentic and correct for the story. We have a lavish fictional Ritz Carlton in New Rochelle, a Stanford dining commons, and who could forget an Applebee’s parking lot in Cincinnati. The attention to costume design is also a major element that I believe Challengers absolutely nailed. From Tashi’s Chanel Espadrilles to Art’s UNI-QLO all-white court fit, everything is an example of the class difference in the sport of tennis and the two men in the film.
Most of this film flips back and forth between key moments in the relationship between the three characters and the present that centers around a Challenger event in New Rochelle. On top of the tennis being exceptional, Guadagnino’s love scenes are revealing without pushing it too far. It is clear to see that for Tashi, these scenes are not merely for pleasure—it is a way for her to gain power or relinquish power on her own terms. She uses sex as a lever that bends the two men to her will. The real master stroke of Challengers is the casting of the three main leads. They hold the screen, and, in Zendaya and O’Conners case, eat up every inch.
Challengers delivers on its promise of sports, sex and drama—it toes the line of each and perfectly crafts together a story that has you on the edge of your seat until the very last frame. The end of the film might leave some feeling empty, but it’s the ride that is most important. Understanding that in tennis, it’s not always the result, but the connection and harmony you share with complete strangers—a connection that is sometimes deeper than any other you’ve experienced in your life.
— Written by Brian Ortega
