Rally with ‘Challengers’

Zendaya in Challengers

“Never marry a tennis player…

Love means nothing to them!” – Dad Jokes

Despite being all about the romantic entanglements of those who partake in the sport, not once does Challengers make that hackneyed observation. This is but one sign you’re in for something greater than expected.

Challengers feels like a sports film from the 1980s along the lines of Bull Durham or Personal Best. When the balls stop flying and the rackets are put down, the real competition begins.

Pro tennis player Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) is in a career slump. Once one of the best in the field, he is now playing a lesser-esteemed tournament as a means of rebounding. He’s up against Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), another once-great player whose career has seen misfortunes. 

But, wouldn’t you know it, these two have a history. Thirteen years prior, Art and Patrick were on the same side as doubles partners. The courses of their lives change irrevocably when they meet Tashi Duncan (Zendaya). The Duncanator is herself a top tennis player, up until a serious injury puts an end to that. But off the court, she takes a sexual interest in the pair, who soon compete for her affections in a rivalry fiercer than their sporting one.

The story is another that is told in a nonlinear fashion, flashing backwards and forwards as the script sees fit. I was curious as to what a version of the film re-edited to be in chronological order would be like until I read through the plot summary laid out on Wikipedia which is arranged that way. Quite frankly, it doesn’t land with the same impact. Despite the viewer knowing where some things will end up, there’s still a remarkable sense of tension in keeping certain parts close to the vest.

The focus is squarely on the drama between these characters and not so much the minutiae of tennis. If you don’t know what a junk ball is, Challengers isn’t going to tell you. It also doesn’t feature a supporting cast to speak of, giving the film the feeling of a stage play. This is a three-hander with no weak link.

That said, however, the standout is most certainly Zendaya, whose hold on the audience is as strong as the one Tashi has on her white boys (the character’s words, not mine). She has a mysterious side to her and the actress handles this superbly. Her facial expressions and body language provide a baseline for interpreting her thoughts and feelings but are never so much that they give away her machinations.

But the movie can be too stylized for its own good. Although director Luca Guadagnino does a few interesting things with the camera, he sometimes overdoes it in places where conventional framing and movements would be more warranted. Likewise, the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is very good but often intrusive.

Nevertheless, Challengers is a more than worthy addition to the neglected tennis film sub-subgenre. Whether you’re getting in the mood for Wimbledon or need a double feature pairing for Wimbledon (though, might 16-Love be a more fitting companion piece?), this film. does more than nicely. Serve it up and swing away.