In "Challengers," tennis looks sexier than ever Directed by Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis star forced into early retirement by a serious knee injury Tashi becomes the coach of her husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Feist), who grooms him to become a tennis champion After Art loses several times, Tashi enters a low-level tournament to regain his confidence His opponent is Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor), Art's former best friend and Tashi's old boyfriend

"Challenger" is a sultry and seductive romantic thriller set in the tennis world Feist and O'Connor are both excellent, but Zendaya was the winner in "Challengers," giving a star-making performance that propelled her career to new heights Whether Zendaya's popularity will make "Challengers" a box office winner remains to be seen The film currently has an impressive 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

If tennis becomes your new favorite sport after watching "Challengers," check out the following five tennis movies to keep your new love for tennis alive

The Oscar-winning drama "King Richard" chronicles the rise of Venus and Serena Williams through the eyes of their father, Richard Williams Will Smith plays Richard, the patriarch of the Williams family determined to make Venus (Saniyah Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) tennis stars Despite being from Compton, an area where tennis is not popular, Richard follows his 78-page plan for success to the letter, and the girls become teenage prodigies

On the surface, "King Richard" is a sports film about two great players with rackets in their hands However, when positioned as a family drama about one man's determination to build a better life for his children, "King Richard" was a success Although his performance is now associated with Academy Award-winning slapstick, Smith's portrayal of Richard remains his best work as a dramatic actor

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The title of the greatest tennis movie is debatable, but the choice for the most entertaining tennis movie is unassailable That title belongs to the 2015 mockumentary "Seven Days in Hell," about the longest match in tennis history The HBO film was inspired by the marathon 11-hour match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships

The central characters in "7 Days in Hell" are Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg) and Charles Poole (Kit Harrington), two tennis competitors fighting in a match that took a week" Like the HBO Sports presentation, "Seven Days in Hell" features match footage and interviews with those who witnessed the history This mockumentary is bizarre, to say the least There are stories involving sex tapes, prison escapes, and a promiscuous British queen (June Squibb) Strange to say the least, the comedy in "Seven Days in Hell" is pure gold

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The actress who created the "Spider-Man to Tennis Star" pipeline is Kirsten Dunst, who played Lizzie Bradbury in "Wimbledon" Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is in the final stages of his tennis career Once a top 15 player, Peter is now ranked 119th in the world The upcoming Wimbledon will be his last tournament before retiring As the tournament begins, Peter meets Lizzie (Dunst), an up-and-coming American on the women's side

Lizzie renews Peter's passion for the game and wins several upsets But this romantic relationship becomes more meaningful as time goes on Wimbledon" is not as erotic as "Challengers" The film's stars, Bettany and Dunst, give charming performances, and it should appeal to lovers of romantic comedies

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Dunst passes the "Spider-Man to Tennis Star" baton to Emma Stone, who played the legendary Billie Jean King in "Battle of the Sexes "In 1973, 29-year-old King was 55 played Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) in a tennis match dubbed "Battle of the Sexes" " The match became one of the most watched sporting events in history

The match is also depicted in the movie, Battle of the Sexes, which focuses on King's life off the court, including his fight for equal pay and his sexual awakening Stone, a two-time Oscar winner, is the perfect actress to play a trailblazer like King Battle of the Sexes is a moving tribute to a pivotal moment in sports history"

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Björn Borg and John McEnroe are two of the greatest tennis players of all time and polar opposites Borg is cool and collected on the court, while McEnroe is hot-tempered and fiery During the 1970s and 1980s, the two became fierce rivals, and the 1980 Wimbledon final between Borg and McEnroe was the subject of Janus Metz Pedersen's "Borg vs McEnroe, with Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf playing Borg and McEnroe, respectively

"Borg vs McEnroe" features some of the best tennis scenes of any film on this list The film does an excellent job of giving background to the lives of each of the competitors Borg lives a life of luxury, but faces enormous pressure to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title McEnroe is a hot-blooded American with a chip on his shoulder and a mean temperament Without a doubt, this is the best of LaBeouf's career It is said that style makes the game The contrasting personalities of Borg and McEnroe provide the perfect backdrop for a dramatic match

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