Zendaya’s next film, Challengers, is out next month, and it is tennis-focused—and so, it seems, are her Sunday date days with boyfriend Tom Holland. Yesterday, the couple attended the finals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, where Zendaya—fresh off of a press run for Dune: Part Two that included outer-worldly looks—went full tennis-core in a white tennis skirt, matching vest, and hooded sweater. (For a full breakdown of the look—you’re welcome.)
Serving more than just aces ☄️Zendaya and Tom have arrived for the finals at Indian Wells ahead of the release of Challengers in theaters April 26th. @challengersmov @mgmstudios | #ChallengersMovie #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/lw4hzJo2ICMarch 17, 2024
The couple (that we can’t get enough of) appeared in happy spirits as they arrived together at the finals, and another clip showed the pair smiling and chatting in their seats during the match, People reports. In another video—this one posted by BNP Paribas Open on X (formerly Twitter)—“the couple clapped after a point was scored, then raised their fists as they appeared to share a joke,” People reports.
Perhaps our favorite video? A moment posted by PopBuzz on X (and later reported on by TMZ) where Zendaya and Holland were seen singing along to Whitney Houston’s hit song “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” as should be constitutionally required when the bop comes on.
“The dynamic duo’s clearly putting on quite the show for anyone looking their way,” TMZ writes. “TH is even getting his body rockin’ to the beat. And the end of the singing is just as good too…with the couple sharing a joke during the last notes of the song—not totally clear what they’re laughing about, but they look adorable here, seemingly lost in their own world.”
After the match, Zendaya met the women’s singles winner, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, after she won over Greece’s Maria Sakkari. In footage posted on Instagram, you can see the two chatting as proud Instagram boyfriend Holland stood in the background, documenting the moment on his phone.
In the forthcoming Challengers, Zendaya plays professional tennis player Tashi Duncan, whose career is derailed by injury and who gets embroiled in a love triangle with her husband and her ex-boyfriend, who also happen to be tennis rivals, as well. Last month, Holland showed his trademark support of his girlfriend as he raved about the film, sharing the trailer for the movie on his Instagram Story and writing in the caption, “You ain’t ready for this one!” (Zendaya and Holland actually met on a film set, 2016’s Spider-Man: Homecoming; they finally confirmed their romance in July 2021.)
Famously private about their relationship, Zendaya has brought up Holland unprompted several times recently, like during a recent interview when she was asked which of her Dune: Part Two co-stars had the most “rizz”—and she chose to talk about Holland instead of her castmates. “I think someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the Dune cast, but personally works for me, is Mr. Tom Holland,” she said. “I’m more shy and kind of quiet, so it takes a bit more to pull me. He’s just naturally very good at that. I’ve definitely had to pull it out of me a little bit. He’s got that natural gift.”
MARVEL-OUS 🤩@TomHolland1996 | @Zendaya | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/NobZhetZhyMarch 17, 2024
Her response was likely in direct correlation to Holland’s comments several months ago, when he claimed he had “no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz,” he said. (“Rizz,” in case you don’t know, is short for “charisma.”) “I need you to fall in love with me, really, for it to work. So, long game, probably making a movie with each other [notice the not-so-subtle Zendaya reference here]. It definitely helps when the characters you’re playing are falling in love with one another.”
He added, so sweetly, “I’m locked up so I’m happy and in love, so I’ve got no need for rizz.”
Challengers, by the way, comes out April 26.
