The marketing for Zendaya’s new movie Challengers has been incredible. Most notably, courts have been built all over the country for fans to play a real-life version of the fictional game referred to as “tennis” in the film.
I was skeptical how this fake game would translate into real life, but it was actually quite fun! Though, as the name of the film suggests, it was a bit challenging.
I struggled to keep the ball within the confines of the actual court, often hitting it far too high and occasionally over the fence. When I tried to correct this, I instead began repeatedly hitting the net.
Eventually, I was able to hit the ball properly and score a point against my elderly father. Surprisingly, he seemed to understand the rules of the game pretty quickly despite not having seen the film.
After experiencing a few round of tennis, I can deduce that Tashi’s injury in the film is in fact plausible. Truthfully, I am surprised that I did not suffer the same fate during my time on the court. As I ran back and forth, stopping abruptly and forcefully, I could feel my feeble knees on the brink of an explosion.
I think my favorite part was the fluorescent green ball. What a fun color! I love how it has a bit of a fur on it as well. I never would have expected that texture.
Ultimately, I think the game invented for the Challengers plot is fun, but I’m not sure if it has any legs for becoming a real sport. I imagine that the courts they made to promote the movie will likely be reverted back to basketball courts and green spaces by the end of the year. So get out there and play some “tennis” before it’s too late!
