Is tennis feeling the Challengers effect? Searches for "adult tennis lessons" are up 245%

Your local tennis court will probably be seeing more action than usual this summer—and it’s not because the pickleball players are taking over.

According to an analysis of Google search data conducted by Venture Smarter, queries for “adult tennis lessons” have skyrocketed 245 percent worldwide—that’s over three times the average search volume—since the release of Challengers on April 26.

Read more: New movie Challengers asks: Where does tennis take us?

Luca Guadagnino’s headline-grabbing tennis love triangle features megastar actress Zendaya as former prodigy Tashi alongside Mike Faist (Art) and Josh O’Connor (Patrick), her rival love interests. The film features steamy scenes as well as electric tennis rallies, all set in the world of professional tennis—from the ATP Tour’s glitzy high echelons to the more humble Challenger tour—to the tune of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Challengers has definitely lived up to its pre-release hype, having been originally scheduled for a release coinciding with last year’s US Open but delayed to this April due to a writers' strike. It was definitely worth the wait, racking up $15 million at the North American box office in its opening weekend and showing no signs of slowing down.

What’s even better is that the on-screen tennis looked great—maybe not perfect, despite employing coach Brad Gilbert as a tennis advisor—as it featured ultra-stylized rallies and cinematic angles that only heightened the main characters’ off-court tension. The combination didn’t just resonate with viewers: It’s inspiring them to go out and get on court themselves.

“Movies centered around tennis don't typically generate significant box office revenue, but this movie has smashed it,” said a spokesperson for Venture Smarter. “Challengers looks set to outgross tennis movies King Richard, Wimbledon and Battle of the Sexes.

“And not only has it done well financially, but it has also inspired audiences to pick up a racquet and play tennis, which is great for our mental and physical wellbeing.”

According to Venture Smarter, a business consulting firm, the average search volume for search terms relating to taking up tennis was calculated using Google Trends, and this was then compared to the highest value data point of 100 to find the search volume increase.

A similar search trend also shows that the renewed interest in the sport is also seeing a trickle-down effect, with the search term “kids tennis classes” also exploding in recent weeks by 205 percent—three times the average volume.

Mixed doubles anyone? May is National Tennis Month in the United States, so there's no better time to go out and play.

WATCH: Challengers Star Zendaya Meets 2024 BNP Paribas Open Champion Iga Swiatek