Challengers Has More Sexy Tennis Scenes Than Actual Sex Scenes
Determining what the sexiest sport is at any given time may come down to the players themselves instead of what happens on the pitch, on the field, or on the court. In Luca Guadagnino's upcoming seductive drama "Challengers," stars Zendaya, Mike Faist ("West Side Story"), and Josh O'Connor ("The Crown") bring their undeniable chemistry to the world of tennis to help add a little spice to a game that prides itself on tradition and sportsmanship. Judging by the playful seduction going on in the trailer, what happens on the baseline looks to be a lot less important than what's going down in the bedroom.
As a rising star that looks poised for greatness and grand slam success, Zendaya's character Tashi has all eyes on her, including the attention of two suitors looking to take the competition to the next level. For passionate tennis fans (myself included), Tashi could be seen as a fictional version of real-life stars on the women's side like Naomi Osaka or Coco Gauff. But it should come as no surprise that a maestro like Guadagnino isn't too concerned with realism when it comes to showing what it would really be like to be a top player climbing the ranks of the ATP tour.
Instead, "Challengers" is using the backdrop of tennis to explore a battle of the sexes that has nothing to do with the classic '70s matchup between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. When the ball is in play, however, Guadagnino did want to capture the physicality and tension taking place between the characters on the court. So, don't be fooled by the images we've seen so far that seem to be promising a more provocative film.
'The tennis is the sex'
The story of "Challengers" deals with the fallout after Zendaya's Tashi suffers a career-ending leg injury at the height of her career. She marries Faist's character Art who winds up competing against his former best friend who also happens to be her ex-lover. That shared history provides a lot of opportunity for the kind of conflict Guadagnino wanted to explore that goes far beyond just sex. "What Luca's really good at is finding sensuality and desire," Zendaya told Empire magazine. "There's so much in just glances. The tension builds. Not having the release is a good thing sometimes."
That's all to say that the former throuple in "Challengers" is more concerned with winning in front of a crowd than any conquests happening in private. O'Connor clarified:
"The tennis is the sex. Those moments are so sexy. The film is dealing with the tension before and after. The sex they're all desperate for is on the court."
From the sound of it, "Challengers" has more in common with the thriller "Match Point" starring Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers than the light and wispy British rom-com "Wimbledon." Any physical seduction looks to take place early on, causing all three characters to deal with the repercussions of their actions and the ripple effect it causes in their lives.
Anyone for tennis?
At first glance, the director of "Call Me By Me By Your Name," "Suspiria," and "Bones and All" doesn't seem well-suited for what appears to be a fairly melodramatic sports movie. "Challengers" has a high level of commercial appeal thanks to its stars, but the dynamic between the characters looks to have exactly the kind of unexpected, interpersonal relationships that Guadagnino likes to explore in his films.
He may be an unconventional choice, but his involvement may give "Challengers" the edge it needs to actually surprise audiences that are probably expecting to see Zendaya in a repackaged version of "Euphoria." Judging from the quotes above, it's not the sex scenes that are going to make "Challengers" hum; it's the emotional back-and-forth rallies taking place between all three leads. After all, these themes can be more geared toward adults without having to go for an NC-17 rating just for the sake of shock value.
Maybe Guadagnino is starting a trend here along with Neill Blomkamp, the visionary director of "District 9" who is now behind the video game racing blockbuster "Gran Turismo." Personally, having these kinds of filmmakers at the helm of high-profile stories set in the sports world only makes them more appealing. In any case, Guadagnino is sure to make "Challengers" a lot more sexy than watching a pickup game of pickleball.
Due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, "Challengers" has been pushed back to April of 2024.