# Challengers Movie Review: A Steamy Tennis Love Triangle

*Film, TV & Music · Marcus Reed · 2026-09-03*

## TL;DR

Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino and released in 2024, follows Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, whose husband Art faces his former best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend, Patrick, in a critical match. The film weaves flashbacks of their volatile romantic history with the present-day game, building to a thrilling, ambiguous climax that captures the trio's intertwined obsession.

## Key facts

- Challengers, originally scheduled for release in September 2023, was delayed and finally arrived in theaters in April 2024.
- Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a very successful young tennis player at the center of the film's love triangle.
- Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor portray Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig, lifelong friends and rivals whose dynamic with Tashi spans over a decade.
- The story's timeline covers a 13-year period from 2006 to 2019, following the characters from their teenage years into their thirties.
- Director Luca Guadagnino crafts the tennis sequences with visceral, kinetic energy, placing the camera at ball level to plunge viewers into the action.

## Opening: The Long-Awaited Arrival of Challengers

Challengers finally made it to theaters in April 2024, and for those who had been waiting since its original September 2023 date, the delay only made the arrival sweeter. The SAG-AFTRA strike pushed Luca Guadagnino's tennis drama back several months, with Turkey getting the film on April 26, 2024, as part of its global rollout. By then, anticipation had reached a fever pitch, and the film did not disappoint.

Known in Turkish as Rekabet, this is the rare sports movie that transcends its genre entirely. It has been hailed as one of the best sports films of all time and stands as one of 2024's most successful productions. The core premise sounds simple enough: a love triangle between three tennis players. But Guadagnino, the Italian director behind Call Me by Your Name, weaves together ambition, desire, and rivalry in ways that keep you glued to the screen from the first frame to the last.

The story centers on Tashi Duncan, played by Zendaya, a very successful young tennis player who becomes the object of affection for two best friends and fellow players, Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig. Their relationships shift and fracture over more than a decade, with tennis serving as both the battleground and the language through which these characters express what they cannot say aloud. It is a setup that sounds straightforward on paper but unfolds with surprising complexity on screen.

What makes this Challengers movie review worth your time, even before you buy a ticket, is how the film uses its sport. Tennis here is not just a backdrop. It becomes a form of communication, a way for the characters to assert dominance, confess feelings, and wage emotional warfare without ever saying the words directly. This is Guadagnino at his most playful and most confident, delivering a film that feels alive with kinetic energy and charged with tension in every scene.

## The Beautiful Obsession: Sex, Sport, and the Italian Touch

Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve once said in an interview that no sporting achievement, not even winning races at the highest level, could ever make him as happy as sex with a woman he genuinely loves. It is a bold confession from a Canadian driver who knew the taste of victory at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Villeneuve placed physical intimacy far above the thrill of competition. For him, the roar of the crowd and the champagne on the podium simply do not compare. That sentiment sets up a fascinating debate about what drives athletes, and it is a debate that runs right through the heart of this film.

Footballers have weighed in on the same question with very different answers. Zlatan Ibrahimović has been quoted in various contexts on this topic, but contrary to what some versions of the story claim, the Swedish striker has actually stated that scoring a goal is better than sex. The opposite quote often attributed to him is simply incorrect. Gary Lineker, the English striker, offered his own twist on the matter. He pointed out that sex is something just about anyone can do, but scoring a goal in front of tens of thousands of fans is a unique pleasure most people will never experience in their lives.

This tension between athletic glory and raw desire sits at the very core of the film. Tennis players communicate through their body language, their grunts, their sighs, and the way they move across the court. Every glance and every sound carries meaning. The sport becomes a form of relationship, a tool for psychological and physical dominance over an opponent who might also be a lover or a rival for affection.

The visual language of the film makes this intertwining unmistakable. The camera lingers on sweat, on breath, on the tension in muscles before a serve. The rhythm of a rally mirrors the rhythm of intimacy. It is a theme perfectly suited to Italian director Luca Guadagnino, whose aesthetic sensibility has always gravitated toward desire in all its forms. Italian artists across painting, sculpture, opera, and cinema have long explored primal instincts with striking honesty and aesthetic care. Guadagnino continues that tradition, treating eroticism not as something crude but as a natural, beautiful element of the story. Tennis, one of the most psychologically brutal sports, becomes a lens through which we watch three people negotiate power, love, and ambition. The court is never just a court. It is a stage where personal history collides with professional rivalry, and every point scored carries emotional weight far beyond the scoreboard.

## The Perfect Match: Justin Kuritzkes's Original Screenplay

Justin Kuritzkes, the husband of *Past Lives* director Celine Song, wrote the original screenplay for *Challengers*, and his inspiration came from an unexpected place: the 2018 US Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. That match, where Williams received a code violation from the umpire for communicating with her coach, sparked a question in Kuritzkes's mind that would grow into a full-length feature film.

What if a player had something vital to communicate that had nothing to do with tennis? That was the fascination that drove Kuritzkes to explore how athletes use body language to send messages without ever speaking a word. The resulting script examines the unspoken conversations happening across the net, the silent signals between players and their teams, and the tension that builds when what needs to be said can't be shouted across the court.

The story Kuritzkes crafted spans 13 years, from 2006 to 2019, following high school friends Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig as they meet tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan, played by Zendaya. Mike Faist takes on the role of Art, while Josh O'Connor portrays Patrick, and together the three form a complicated triangle that plays out both on and off the court. The screenplay treats tennis not just as a sport but as a form of relationship, where players use their bodies to pressure opponents and their tactics to deceive them.

Kuritzkes, who watched that 2018 match unfold in real time, found beauty in the controversy. The penalty Williams received for what her coach later admitted was indeed coaching became, in his hands, a launching point for a much bigger question about communication, desire, and the things we can't say out loud. His answer arrives in the form of a film that pulses with kinetic energy, where every glance between the characters carries weight and every serve feels loaded with meaning.

## A Steamy, Sweet, and Masterfully Edited Love Triangle

For all the buzz about its erotic charge, **Challengers** never once turns vulgar, and that restraint is exactly what makes it so effective. The film's most talked-about moment, the threesome scene that stirred things up when the trailer appeared, delivers on its promise of visual heat while keeping something surprisingly innocent at its core. Director Luca Guadagnino, the Italian filmmaker behind 2024's most anticipated tennis drama, treats eroticism the way a three-Michelin-star chef treats a garnish: present, purposeful, but never the main course.

Take the much-discussed phallic imagery. At one point, the two male leads, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor), sit across from each other eating bananas and churros, each bite loaded with competitive tension. It is playful, almost cartoonish in its directness, yet it never feels cheap. The same goes for the threesome itself, which holds a surprise for viewers that I will not spoil here. Somehow, despite all this steam, the film stays sweet, even naive in the best way. Guadagnino knows exactly when to pull back, and that discipline keeps the tone light rather than sleazy.

What truly elevates **Challengers** beyond its steamy surface is the editing, which stands as the film's strongest aspect after its screenplay. The story jumps between the characters' teenage years in 2006 and their weathered thirties in 2019, covering a 13-year span of tangled relationships. Watching it feels like spectating a tennis match yourself, your head whipping back and forth between past and present. Yet unlike many films that lean heavily on time jumps, this one never exhausts you. Each cut lands with purpose, letting you piece together how these three people arrived at the complicated place where the story finds them. The seamless transitions make the emotional history feel lived-in rather than narrated.

This is also a film best enjoyed with company. To maximize the pleasure of watching Art, Patrick, and Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) circle each other across nearly a decade and a half, bring your partner along. The film practically begs for a shared viewing, with plenty to whisper about during the credits. Whether you are there for the tennis, the tension, or the sheer craft on display, this one rewards an audience of two.

## The Sound of Cool: Reznor & Ross and the Oscar Question

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the duo behind two Academy Award wins, composed the score for *Challengers*. Their signature electronic sound, most familiar to audiences from David Fincher's films, gives Luca Guadagnino's tennis drama an undeniable cool factor. The music fits the movie's kinetic energy so perfectly that it feels like the third main character, pulsing underneath every rally and glance. Reznor and Ross have a way of building tension through layered synthesizers and driving beats, and here that approach amplifies the sexual charge simmering between the three leads. It is the same aesthetic precision that made their Fincher collaborations so memorable, now transplanted into a sun-drenched sports world. The result is a soundtrack that does not just accompany the action, it propels it. But here is where the conversation gets complicated. As much as this Challengers movie review wants to celebrate the film's achievements, there is a nagging sense that awards season will not be kind to it. The movie was not built as an Oscar play. It does not have the somber prestige tone that Academy voters typically gravitate toward, and it wears its commercial, stylish energy on its sleeve. That is precisely why it works so well as entertainment, and precisely why it will likely be overlooked when nominations are announced. If the film did manage to sneak into the conversation, the most plausible categories would be original screenplay, editing, and music. The script by Justin Kuritzkes is sharp and structurally clever, the editing keeps the nonlinear timeline feeling effortless, and the score is genuinely awards-worthy. In a year with weaker competition, those nods might have materialized. As it happened, the prediction proved accurate, with the 97th Academy Awards in 2025 coming and going without any nominations for *Challengers*. Zendaya deserves a special mention here, though her situation mirrors the film's. She is both the lead actress and a producer on the project, a dual role that showcases her growing influence in Hollywood. Her performance as Tashi Duncan is commanding and layered, easily the most mature work of her career. The competition for Best Actress that year was simply too fierce, making an Oscar nomination unlikely. A Golden Globe nomination felt like the more realistic outcome, a recognition that would acknowledge her effort without requiring the full Academy machinery. Her role as Chani in *Dune: Part Two* was never going to generate Oscar buzz either, despite the film's overall success. That performance, while solid, did not have the showcase moments that typically attract voters. So the path forward for Zendaya award recognition always pointed back to *Challengers*, the film she helped bring to life. Whether the Hollywood Foreign Press or the Academy will eventually reward her ambition remains an open question, but the work itself speaks volumes.

## Final Verdict and a Related Recommendation

Challengers earns its place among the best films of 2024, delivering a kinetic rush that stays with you long after the credits roll. Its original, modern screenplay, razor-sharp editing, and electrifying score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross combine into something genuinely special. For tennis fans, players, sports enthusiasts, and anyone who simply loves quality cinema, this one is an easy recommendation.

The reviewer's enthusiasm is hard to argue with. The film, released in Turkey on April 26, 2024, crackles with an energy that feels almost alive. Every rally, every glance between the three leads, every thumping beat of the Reznor and Ross soundtrack pushes the story forward at a breathless pace. It is the kind of movie that makes you want to rewind scenes just to catch what you missed the first time.

The reviewer gave Challengers a Letterboxd rating of 4.5 out of 5, and that sentiment rings true for anyone who has seen the film.

If Challengers leaves you wanting more, the reviewer points to a natural companion piece: Woody Allen's 2005 film Match Point. The two movies share a thematic DNA, both exploring how ambition, desire, and class collide in ways that reshape lives. The recommendation comes with an IMDb link for those who want to track down the older film.

For those who have not yet seen Rekabet, as it is known in Turkish cinemas, the film rewards viewers who appreciate craft over spectacle. The editing alone deserves attention, as it weaves together 13 years of story across three lives. And the music, composed by the duo behind two Oscar-winning scores, gives the whole picture a pulse that is hard to shake.

The verdict is clear. Challengers is not just a sports movie or a romance or a drama. It is all of those things, executed with a confidence that marks it as one of 2024's standout productions. Whether you come for the tennis, the tension, or the soundtrack, you will leave satisfied. And if you want to double the pleasure, pair it with Match Point for a double feature that explores the same themes from very different angles.


## Frequently asked questions

**What is the movie Challengers about?**

Challengers is a 13-year love triangle story spanning from 2006 to 2019, following three tennis players whose personal and professional lives become deeply intertwined. The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, explores how ambition, desire, and competition shape the relationships between childhood friends Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig, and the talented player Tashi Duncan who enters their lives.

**Who stars in Challengers?**

Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, the ambitious tennis prodigy at the center of the love triangle. Mike Faist plays Art Donaldson, and Josh O'Connor portrays Patrick Zweig, the two childhood friends whose rivalry with each other and connection to Tashi drives the story forward across more than a decade of their lives.

**Why is Challengers considered a great sports film?**

Critics have praised Challengers for its original screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, its masterful editing, and its distinctive approach to tennis as a form of intimate communication and psychological warfare. Rather than a conventional sports drama, the film uses the court as a stage where the characters express desire, resentment, and power through body language and strategy, making it one of the most talked-about tennis movies in years.

**Who composed the music for Challengers?**

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score, bringing their signature electronic sound to the tennis court. The duo previously won Academy Awards for their work on two films, and their pulsing, kinetic music for Challengers became one of the film's most distinctive elements.

**Does Challengers have Oscar potential?**

The reviewer predicted the film was unlikely to receive Oscar nominations, and that prediction proved accurate. Challengers received no nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, despite strengths in original screenplay, editing, and music. The film's commercial and critical success did not translate into awards season recognition.

**How does Challengers compare to Match Point?**

Woody Allen's 2005 film Match Point is recommended as a companion piece to Challengers. Both films explore themes of obsession, ambition, and relationships within a sports or social context, using tennis as a backdrop for examining how desire and status drive their characters' choices and ultimately shape their fates. Editorial note: Any facts which remain unconfirmed are presented as such, and this review reflects the film as screened in its theatrical release.

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