What Zendaya said other tennis players had told her about her Challengers movie in 2024

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Tennis is one of the world’s most popular sports, and in 2024, that intrigue was translated onto the silver screen.

The 2024 film Challengers brought the sporting world to a standstill, with stars like Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor headlining a unique storyline that had rarely been seen before.

It was a divisive film, as some of the best often are, leaving many scratching their heads after the credits rolled.

A story about love and tennis, constantly intertwined, Zendaya actually revealed the reaction that her controversial story got from some of the professionals.

Zendaya reveals the response from professional tennis players to her movie Challengers

Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in 2024, the American superstar, who has also had starring roles in Dune, The Greatest Showman and the Marvel Spider-Man films, spoke about the response her film provoked.

Laughing, she revealed what some of the professional tennis stars had relayed back to her, claiming: Oh, another high praise is, I’ve had a couple tennis players say, “Thanks for making tennis sexy” or “making tennis cool.” And I was like, I feel like tennis has always been cool and sexy, but I’ll take it. A lot of people have tried to get into tennis now, so I think that’s fun.”

If this film has made anyone interested in taking up the sport, then it must be considered a success.

So often, tennis is perceived as being behind the times in terms of marketing its biggest stars. Movies like this, no matter how controversial, can only benefit the sport’s promotion and subsequent progression.

What did Andy Murray think of the Challengers movie?

Speaking just earlier this year, Andy Murray was one of many star-studded individuals to deliver his verdict on the film.

However, having played in the sport for nearly two decades, he admitted he was left a little confused by it all.

The Scotsman claimed: “I didn’t really understand it.

“But I think that’s me not having that artistic, creative sort of mind. Obviously I’ve played tennis on the tour, and kind of know what it’s like, and [Challengers] wasn’t what I’ve experienced. But maybe some of the other players had a different experience?

“There’s definitely some pretty intense rivalries in the locker room, but they’re more to do with tennis, not so much with a woman at the heart of it.”

– READ MORE: What Serena Williams told Zendaya she ‘hated’ about her tennis film Challengers