'Challengers' Writer Says This Real-Life Tennis Couple Helped Inspire the Movie
28/04/2024 20:53
The idea for "Challengers" was planted in the mind of writer Justin Kuritzkes in 2018 when he watched Naomi Osaka best Serena Williams in straight sets at the U.S. Women's Open, but the characters played by Zendaya and Mike Faist were also inspired in part by real-life tennis couple Roger Federer and his wife Mirka. Kuritzkes told GQ that he watched Roger Federer take on Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019 when he noticed Mirka in the stands. "She looked so stressed out, every point," Kuritzkes said. "I was watching her and just thinking, 'Why are you so stressed out? You guys . . .
