Zendaya reveals Serena Williams' reaction to Challengers

Hollywood actress Zendaya has revealed tennis superstar Serena Williams’ reaction to her latest movie Challengers.

In an interview, the actress disclosed her conversation with the athlete about her performance in the sports drama, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.

“She was like, ‘I know there definitely weren’t real [tennis] balls,’” Zendaya recalled. “She knows. She’s the best of the best.”

However, she said that Serena Williams heaped praise on her for her tennis skills, saying that the actress was great in the movie considering that she had never touched a tennis ball before.

Read more: Tennis drama ‘Challengers’ showcases Zendaya’s versatility

In Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a self-confident former tennis champion who, following an injury, now coaches her husband Art (Mike Faist). When Patrick (Josh O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s boyfriend during their teenage years, suddenly reappears after over decade, problems from their intertwined past start seeping into their present.

According to the actress, she was nervous about Williams seeing her tennis skills and had “apologised in advance to her and her sister Venus Williams”.

Challengers is set to be released in theaters on April 26.

Meanwhile, the actress’s film ‘Dune: Part Two‘ was praised for its gripping storyline, stunning visuals and acting from its cast. Along with Zendaya, the movie’s cast includes Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Austin Butler to name a few.

‘Dune: Part Two‘, the second film in the franchise and direct sequel to ‘Dune: Part One‘, hit the theatres on March 1, 2024 and was met with critical acclaim. The film has a running time of 2 hours and 46 minutes. Denis Villeneuve had reportedly admitted that he made some “painful” editing choices.

‘Dune 2‘, which covers the second half of Frank Herbert’s novel ‘Dune‘, follows Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) becoming the messiah of nomads on a desert planet that has giant worms that protect a precious commodity called Spice.