Genre : Romantic Sports Drama

Runtime : 2hr 11min

Language : English

IMDb : 7/10

Rotten Tomatoes : 88%

Letterboxd : 3.9/5

Metacritic : 82%

Wikipedia : Link

Director : Luca Guadagnino

Cast

Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, A.J. Lister, Bryan Doo

Plot

Challengers explores a love triangle set against the high-stakes world of tennis. Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), once a rising star, becomes a coach after suffering a career-halting injury. She marries Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), now a grand slam–winning champion whose form has since waned. Meanwhile, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), Tashi’s former boyfriend and early rival, hides his disappointment and bitterness as Art’s star eclipses his own. Over the years, Tashi’s ambition, loyalty, and emotional conflicts build up friction between the three. Eventually, both men agree to play each other in a climactic match on the Challenger circuit—a symbolic and literal arena where pride, past resentments, and broken promises are on the line. As Tashi coaches both men in different ways, her strategies reflect not just physical training but psychological warfare: love, rivalry, and betrayal. The match becomes more than sport—it’s about identity, control, and the cost of wanting everything.