Challengers is a American romantic sports drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. It follows the love triangle between an injured tennis star-turned-coach Zendaya , her low-circuit tennis player ex-boyfriend Josh O'Connor , and her tennis champion husband Mike Faist across 13 years of their relationship, culminating in the match between her ex-boyfriend and husband on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Kuritzkes' screenplay was acquired by MGM in February , with the main cast and Guadagnino being hired shortly after; Zendaya, O'Connor, and Faist trained for months with former tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert to prepare for their roles.
Principal photography ran from May to June , primarily in Boston. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom , who previously worked with Guadagnino on Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria , served as cinematographer. After meeting at a party, Tashi joins Art and Patrick in their hotel room, where all three kiss before Tashi abruptly ends the tryst. In , Tashi and Art play college tennis at Stanford University , while Patrick turns professional and begins a long-distance relationship with Tashi.
Art suggests to Tashi that Patrick does not love her. When Patrick visits Stanford, Art similarly suggests to him that Tashi does not take the relationship seriously. Tashi and Patrick have an argument over her attempts to coach Patrick in tennis, and Patrick skips her match as a result; while playing, Tashi is distracted and tears her ACL. Patrick comes to see Tashi, but Tashi angrily demands he leave. Art sides with her, ending his friendship with Patrick. Art aids in Tashi's recovery, but her injury ends her tennis career.
In , Tashi reconnects with Art, now a professional player, and becomes his coach and girlfriend. In , Tashi and Art are now engaged, and Art's career is on the rise. Tashi and Patrick run into each other at the Atlanta Open and have a one-night stand, which Art notices. In , Tashi and Art are a wealthy power couple with a young daughter. Tashi enters Art as a wild card in a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York , hoping to boost his confidence and return him to form.
