Challengers Is A Perfect Reminder To Watch Kirsten Dunst’s 20-Year-Old Tennis Movie

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers tells a very specific story of romance within a tennis setting, yet its themes actually make it the perfect accompaniment to a Kirsten Dunst film from 2004. Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers is a thrilling story of obsession, competitiveness, and emotional manipulation, winning praise for its unconventional narrative. However, while the movie is undoubtedly innovative, it is not the first film to use tennis as a conduit for examining complicated relationships.

Unlike many sports dramas, Challengers is less about the physical hardship of competition, and is instead a complex psychological portrait of the changing dynamic between the three main characters. Told in a non-linear narrative, the movie broadly revolves around couple Tashi and Art’s relationship, complicated by the pair’s shared with Art’s erstwhile best friend, Patrick. Laced with deception and intrigue, the movie is as much a thriller as it is a typical romance. Nevertheless, it shares some clear parallels with a 20-year-old Kirsten Dunst romantic comedy.

Wimbledon’s Story Holds Several Similarities To Challengers

Starring Dunst alongside Paul Bettany, Sam Neil, and James McAvoy, Wimbledon is a narrative forerunner to Challengers. Like Luca Guadagnino’s film, the movie revolves around a love story set in the world of professional tennis. Paul Bettany plays Peter Colt – an aging tennis star whose fortunes have faded and who faces the prospect of imminent retirement. However, his life changes when he participates in the Wimbledon championships in London, where he meets Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst) – a rising American star who completely changes his perspective on tennis and life.

There are obvious parallels between Wimbledon and Challengers. The use of tennis as an important narrative device is a clear connection, and allows both movies to explore the similarities between the passion that sport creates and the intense feelings that result from any romantic relationship. Both movies also feature a comeback narrative within this setting, with protagonists starting out down-on-their luck before achieving success. However, while the links between the two projects make them interesting companion pieces, there are also some important differences.

How Wimbledon Is Different From Challengers

The major contrast between Wimbledon and Challengers is tonal. While Wimbledon is generally light-hearted and fairly traditional in its approach to love, Challengers is much more daring. The 2024 movie presents the audience with three psychologically complex characters – each of whom has their own unstated motivations. Tashi, for instance, lives her curtailed career through her husband, while it’s clear that the rivalry between Art and Patrick masks something much deeper and more intimate. The conflict between these motivations makes Challengers more like a thriller than a rom-com.

Considering how comparatively few non-biographical tennis movies there are, it’s inevitable that Challengers and Wimbledon will be compared. However, beyond the obvious sporting connection, it’s clear that the projects have two very different intentions. Whereas Wimbledon is a sugar-coated take on romance, Challengers is a much more subversive approach to what relationships really mean. Thanks to this disparity, the two movies prove how filmmakers can use the same setting to tell completely different stories.