{"id":93191,"date":"2024-04-27T02:07:36","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T02:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/27\/why-zendayas-challengers-reminds-serena-williams-of-roger-federer\/"},"modified":"2024-04-27T02:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-04-27T02:07:36","slug":"why-zendayas-challengers-reminds-serena-williams-of-roger-federer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/27\/why-zendayas-challengers-reminds-serena-williams-of-roger-federer\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Zendaya\u2019s Challengers Reminds Serena Williams of Roger Federer"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Serena Williams<\/strong><\/a> was reminded of another tennis icon \u2014 Roger Federer<\/strong><\/a> and his wife, Mirka \u2014 while watching Zendaya\u2019s<\/strong> <\/a>new film Challengers<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In a review of the movie for Vogue<\/em><\/a>, which was published on Friday, April 26, Williams, 42, opened up about seeing the real world of competitive tennis reflected in the story of Zendaya\u2019s character, Tashi, and the two men in her life, Art (Mike Faist<\/strong>) and Patrick (Josh O\u2019Connor<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI recognized Art, too. A lot of male tennis players really rely on their wives and girlfriends,\u201d Williams wrote of Art and Tashi\u2019s duel marital and coach-player dynamic in the film. \u201cJust look at someone like Roger Federer: he used to actually hit with his wife, Mirka, and they were like glue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams noted that players getting isolated is seen \u201cso much\u201d in men\u2019s tennis, especially for those at the top of their game. She added, however, that even she was \u201ccodependent\u201d with sister Venus Williams<\/strong> at the start of their careers.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>‘Challengers’ Movie: Everything to Know About Zendaya’s New Tennis Drama<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tZendaya is bringing the heat both on and off the court in her upcoming sports drama, Challengers. The Luca Guadagnino-directed film stars Zendaya as Tashi, a tennis star caught up in a messy love triangle with fellow athletes Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O\u2019Connor) that follows the trio from their teenage years into adulthood. [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re on the top, no one speaks to you,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re alone so much that you end up being really dependent on your team and their opinions. \u2026 So it\u2019s interesting that the movie was able to capture some of that experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Serena seemingly had empathy for O\u2019Connor\u2019s character \u2014 \u201cI\u2019ve seen guys like that before. \u2026 There are players who really struggle and sometimes end up living in their car,\u201d she wrote \u2014 she was most grated by Tashi, whom she described as \u201cmean, for lack of a better word.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were elements to the character, however, that Serena could understand. \u201cIt\u2019s true that when you\u2019re really competitive, you have to make tough decisions, including in your dating life,\u201d she explained. \u201cYou have to find someone who really understands your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Figuring out priorities when it comes to personal life and career is something Serena is well acquainted with. After a storied career that included 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, she officially retired<\/a> from tennis in 2022 to spend more time with her husband, Alexis Ohanian<\/strong>, and their daughter, Olympia, now 6. (The pair have since welcomed their second daughter, Adira, who arrived in August 2023.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here to tell you that I\u2019m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,\u201d Serena wrote in a Vogue<\/em> essay explaining her decision. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. Alexis, my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it\u2019s like a taboo topic. I can\u2019t even have this conversation with my mom and dad. It\u2019s like it\u2019s not real until you say it out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She continued, \u201cBelieve me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,\u201d Williams continued. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn\u2019t be writing this because I\u2019d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I\u2019d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since stepping off the court, Williams has focused on other endeavors. In April, she broke into the world of cosmetics with Wyn Beauty<\/a> \u2014 a makeup brand that promises to offer products that will allow athletes to serve face amid the most taxing conditions. She also launched her wellness brand, Will Perform, which sells recovery products like magnesium lotion, pain relief gel and more.<\/p>\n

Federer, meanwhile, announced his own retirement<\/a> from tennis just weeks after Serena. The 20-time Grand Slam winner decided to hang up his racquet after a series of injuries. He underwent two knee surgeries in 2020 and returned to tennis the following year, but withdrew from the Australian Open and French Open while he recovered. He underwent another knee surgery in August 2021 and subsequently withdrew from the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Serena Williams Through the Years: From Tennis Court to Met Gala Red Carpet<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tLegend! Serena Williams has overcome every obstacle in her way to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Perhaps even more impressive, she now balances perfecting her game with raising her daughter, Olympia. Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in September 1981. She started playing tennis at age 4 after she, sister [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cAs many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,\u201d the athlete wrote in an emotional letter shared via Instagram in September 2022. \u201cI\u2019ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body\u2019s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cI am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.\u201d<\/p>\n

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