Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sophia McCaughan

Love-all in a challenging romantic sports film

Mike Faist, Zendaya and Josh O'Connor on the red carpet for the Australian premiere of Challengers. (Flavio Brancaleone/AAP PHOTOS)

The Hollywood stars of a new film which is set to hit Australian cinemas in April hope it will find success with a sports-obsessed audience Down Under. 

Action at Melbourne Park ended more than a month ago but tennis fever ramped up again in Sydney this week for the local premiere of Challengers. 

The 131-minute production follows Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy-turned coach, and her Grand Slam champion husband Art Donaldson, played by Broadway actor Mike Faist. 

Zendaya at the Australian premiere of Challengers.
Zendaya at the Australian red carpet premiere of Challengers. (Flavio Brancaleone/AAP PHOTOS)

Premiering the film in a sports-mad nation "feels right", Zendaya told reporters in Sydney during a media promotion session on Wednesday. 

"This is the perfect place for this film to start off," said the Hollywood star, looking relaxed with her hair tied in a rough top knot. 

Faist hopes audiences in Australia connect with the film as much as he does. 

"We enjoyed it and we want to share that, so we hope the audience connects with it too," he said. 

It's Zendaya's first time back in Australia the 2017 premiere of The Greatest Showman, and she's happy to be back. 

"You get here and people are welcoming you with such love and such a warm embrace," she said. 

In the midst of the highs and lows of the tennis world, Tashi signs her husband up for a challenger event, which sees him face off against her former boyfriend and Art's childhood best friend Patrick Zweig, played by Josh O'Connor who's best known for his role as Prince Charles in The Crown.

The Brit star has enjoyed his first visit to Sydney. 

"It's been warm, which has been nice, we actually went on a little boat tour around the harbour the other night, which is very beautiful," he said. 

Challengers opens in Australian cinemas on April 26.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.