Zendaya Admits She Was ‘Terrified’ Of Playing Tennis Onscreen For ‘Challengers’

etcanada.com:

Zendaya’s upcoming role in “Challengers” was anything but comfortable. The 26-year-old actress who stars as Tashi – a former tennis phenom turned coach – in the 2024 film about the sport and the repercussions of failure on an international stage admits in a new interview with Elle that landing the job felt like “a good step into a more ‘grown-up’ role and into that next phase” of her career. READ MORE: ‘Challengers,’ Starring Zendaya, Will Skip Venice Premiere Due To Actors Strike, Moves To 2024 The Disney Channel alum also confessed she was “terrified” of playing tennis onscreen but later developed a newfound appreciation for athletes who compete and perform simultaneously upon doing three months of tennis training for the romance-sport film. “The more I had to pretend to do tennis in front of a camera with an audience, the more terrified I felt.

And I was not even using a real ball,” Zendaya recalled with a laugh. “I’m just doing the form and footwork and getting my swing right and doing it in front of a whole bunch of people as if it’s the US Open, and I’m terrified.” READ MORE: Zendaya Sparks Internet Frenzy After Saying ‘I’m Taking Such Good Care Of My Little White Boys’ In ‘Challengers’ Trailer Despite describing the job as “a little bit scary to take on,” Zendaya – who, in the film, finds herself at the centre of a love triangle, balancing the two most competitive men in her life, her husband Art (Mike Faist), and ex-boyfriend Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – ultimately believes her fear was “a good feeling” to have. “To be like, ‘Ooh, can I do this?’ You could run from that feeling and stay safe and comfortable, or you can go, ‘You know what, f**k it,’” she explained. “Challengers” hits theatres on April 26,