Paula Badosa rips Challengers, calling Zendaya’s film ‘American teenage movie’

The Spanish tennis player, in an interview with ELLE, defined the film as a simple American teenage movie

Challengers, tennis movie starring Zendaya, was one of the most anticipated films of the cinema season, and not only by the millions of tennis fans. The film was greeted with many positive reviews, both by film critics and by many fans but, according to many tennis players – who were able to analyze Challengers directly from inside their world – the film did not reflect the life of a tennis player at all.

Paula Badosa is one of those who was very perplexed about the film directed by the Italian director Luca Guadagnino. In an interview with ELLE, the strong and beautiful Spanish tennis player revealed that she did not understand anything about the film, explaining that the tennis Tour is not at all as it is defined in the film with Zendaya and that many of her other tennis colleagues agree with her.

“The tennis tour is not like that at all, it was more like an American teen movie. I don’t see Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz fighting like that. I saw Challengers and I didn’t understand anything. I talked to other colleagues about it and they said the same thing,” she explained.

Challengers grossed $50,119,408 in North America and $44,100,000 in the rest of the world, for a total of $94,219,408. The film began filming on May 3, 2022 in Boston, and wrapped on June 26 of the same year, while post-production concluded in April 2023. To prepare for her role, Zendaya spent three months training with coach and former tennis player Brad Gilbert. The film was chosen as the opening film out of competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, but due to the actors’ union strike, the screening in Venice was canceled. The film had its world premiere in Sydney on March 26, 2024. In the United States, the film has been rated R-rated for unaccompanied minors under 17.