In “Challengers,” tennis has never looked sexier. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, “Challengers” stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis star forced into early retirement due to a devastating knee injury. Tashi becomes a coach for her husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), and turns him into a tennis champion. After Art suffers several losses, Tashi signs him up for a low-level tournament to regain his confidence. The opponent is Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s old boyfriend.
“Challengers” is a steamy and seductive romantic thriller set in the world of tennis. While Faist and O’Connor are both excellent, Zendaya is the winner of “Challengers,” giving a star-making performance that should catapult her career to new heights. We’ll see if Zendaya’s popularity makes “Challengers” a box-office winner. The film currently holds an excellent 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
