Zendaya recently admitted to having limited tennis knowledge before signing up for the film ‘Challengers’.
‘Challengers’ will hit the big screens on April 26, 2024. The film is based on the story of former tennis player Tashi Donaldson, whose on-court career ends abruptly because of an injury and hence she takes up coaching duties for her husband Art Donaldson. Tashi’s story, however, complicates as she starts coaching her ex-lover Patrick Zweig at the same time.
Zendaya has donned Tashi’s hat whereas Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have portrayed Art and Patrick. The film is directed by Italian director Luca Guadagnino.
Over the last couple of months, Zendaya has been involved in rigorous promotions for the film that is about to hit theater screens. She visited the Indian Wells Open 2024 women’s singles final last month and chatted briefly with champion Iga Swiatek.
Zendaya most recently sat down with Vogue and answered numerous questions about ‘Challengers’, tennis, and life, suggesting she only followed Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Roger Federer.
“Serena and Venus — that’s all I connected to. And probably Roger Federer,” the actress said.
The 27-year-old notably received tennis training from none other than legendary coach Brad Gilbert. For Zendaya, learning the sport was a rollercoaster ride as she felt like a pro one day and not so much 24 hours later.
“The first little while was getting the basics, trying to just hit the f**king thing. One day you’d be like, Oh, sh*t, I cracked it. I figured it out. I got it. Come back in the next day…,” she said.
“I started treating it more like dance” – Zendaya on learning tennis
Zendaya further told Vogue that she made up her mind to treat tennis like a dance form requiring duplicating footwork.
“I started treating it more like dance, like, ‘Okay, it’s more copying mannerisms, copying footwork, whatever’. So everything then became shadowing,” she said.
Josh O’Connor, who plays Patrick Zweig in ‘Challengers’, claimed that Zendaya learned it all within 60 minutes.
“I swear that after an hour’s session, she had it down. She looked like a pro. It was a real miracle,” O’Connor told Vogue.
Brad Gilbert’s tips must have helped Zendaya and her co-actors a great deal, given his experience of working with Grand Slam champions of the ranks of Coco Gauff, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray.
