June 20, 2023
MGM unveiled the first trailer for Challengers on Tuesday, featuring Zendaya alongside Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor as a group of teenage tennis players whose lives intersect romantically and then reunite years later for a match between the two men.
Zendaya stars in the sports comedy-drama as Tashi Duncan, a promising tennis player who catches the eye of Patrick (O'Connor) and Art (Faist) in the trailer.
The three become involved romantically, but Tashi's career is derailed by a severe leg injury she sustains on the court. In the years that follow, she marries Art and becomes his coach.
An official logline describes Tashi as "a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court."
"Married to a champion on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick — his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend," the logline reads.
"As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself: What will it cost to win?"
In October, director Luca Guadagnino revealed to Variety that Zendaya, along with O'Connor and Faist, underwent three months of training to convincingly portray professional tennis players in the movie.
“We edited the movie and we almost actually don't use any of her double. She's so good,” said the director about Zendaya’s performance.
Challengers will hit theatres on Sept 15.