Zendaya to reportedly star in tennis film, tentatively titled Challengers

Emmy Award-winning actress Zendaya has reportedly signed up for a film project that will be centered around the pro-tennis circuit.

The news first broke on social media, with Puck News co-founder Matthew Belloni sharing a post on Twitter with a few details on the new project, tentatively titled Challengers.

According to the available information, the film will follow the build-up to a tennis match at a "low-level pro-tournament" involving fictitious characters including a former Grand Slam winner and "burnout" star.

The report also suggests a few other big names are attached to the project, including Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, best known for having directed the coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name.

"Framed around a single tennis match at a low-level pro tournament, three players who knew each other when they were teenagers a world-famous grand slam winner, his ambitious wife/coach, and their old friend who's now a burnout ranked 201 in the world -reignite old rivalries on and off the court," the film's synopsis read.

Zendaya, who has been a part of commercial as well as critical successes, including 2021 productions Spider-Man: No Way Home and Dune, is reportedly being offered between $11-13 million to star in the film.

King Richard paving the way for more tennis-based film projects

The latest tennis-related Hollywood project, King Richard, which follows the formative years of champion duo Venus and Serena Williams, was a breakout success.

Not only did the film do very well in theatres, it garnered widespread appreciation from film critics as well. The film's success culminated in multiple Academy Award nominations—including those for Best Picture.

Will Smith and Aunjanue Williams, the actors who portrayed the Williams sisters' parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price, were nominated in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories.

Both Venus and Serena Williams have since shared their gratitude for the warm reception the film received.

"I woke up to this. Our film is really nominated for an OSCAR!!!!!!! This is CRAZY!!!!!!! From Compton to Wimbledon to Academy awards. Everyone can dream. And your dream can come true. Ok I am definitely crying this morning. Congrats to the entire film and crew," Serena Williams wrote on Instagram.

King Richard's success could well be one of the big reasons for Hollywood's renewed interest in tennis-based content.

About the author

Vedant is an experienced journalist at Sportskeeda, having been part of the team since 2016. Known for his insightful coverage of Tennis, Hockey, and Olympic sports at the company, he has also been contributing to the Hindustan Times for the past 3 years.

Holding a Master's degree in English, and a PG Diploma in Print Journalism, Vedant's academic background equips him well for his journalism endeavors. He has covered the Olympics qualifiers on the ground, taken exclusive interviews with multiple Indian Olympians, and clinched Sportskeeda's prestigious Writer Award for Best Olympics Commentator in 2021.

While Vedant remains neutral on the Tennis GOAT debate, he holds a deep admiration for Tsvetana Pironkova and Petra Kvitova for their unparallelled grasscourt skills and personalities, along with Juan Martin del Potro. As for tournaments, his heart is undeniably drawn to Wimbledon, and when asked why, he simply states, "There's something about the grass."

Beyond his passion for sports, he enjoys traveling and has a soft spot for good movies.

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Edited by Nihal Taraporvala