Zendaya’s forehand gets a thumbs up from tennis pros in first ‘Challengers’ trailer

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The first trailer for Zendaya’s upcoming tennis film Challengers was released on Tuesday, giving fans an early look at director Luca Guadagnino’s “sexy comedy”—as well as the Euphoria star’s fierce forehand.

According to the film’s synopsis, Challengers features Zendaya as Tashi, a tennis player-turned-coach who has taken her husband, Art—played by West Side Story’s Mike Faist—and “transformed him into a world-famous Grand Slam champion.”

But during a losing streak, she signs him up to play a low-level Challenger event. That’s where they run into Patrick (Josh O’Connor from The Crown)—Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.

The trailer, set to a remix of Rihanna’s S&M, peels back some layers and reveals even more history between the three characters who were involved in a love triangle during their youth. Back then, Zendaya’s character was a tennis wunderkind, expected to become a great champion—before a knee injury cut her career short.

In order to prepare for the role, Zendaya, Faist and O'Connor reportedly trained for three months and worked with former player Brad Gilbert perfecting her strokes.

“She’s wonderful,” director Guadagnino told Variety last year. “I mean, wow. We edited the movie and we almost actually don’t use any of her double. She’s so good.”

One shot in particular caught many an eagle-eyed tennis fan’s attention—and impressed some of current and former pros, too.

“I’ve never hit a forehand that clean,” said former American player Noah Rubin, while England’s Laura Robson asked, “Is it me or is the forehand technique giving Medvedev?”

The R-rated Challengers is set to hit theaters on September 15, 2023—the perfect post-US Open tennis-themed pick-me-up.