Aahana Swrup
‘Challengers,’ the romance drama film set in the world of professional tennis, explores the complicated dynamics of a love triangle that remains steeped in labyrinthine emotions of betrayal and competition. Shouldering high expectations, Tashi Duncan, a talented tennis player, faces the end of her career before it even begins. As a result, she channels her skills into coaching her husband, Art Donaldson, and builds him up into a promising athlete. Consequently, as Art’s passion for the sport dwindles, Tashi enters him into a low-level Challengers event to boost his sportsman spirit.
However, both individuals find themselves in an unexpected turn of events as their paths cross with Patrick Zweig, Art’s ex-best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. Thus, as the event’s final match between Art and Patrick unfolds, the tennis court turns into the spot that unravels a cathartic entanglement of decade-long complications. Since the characters’ athletic careers play such an instrumental role in the storyline, one can’t help but wonder about the possibility of a connection between Tashi Duncan and a real-life tennis player.
Tashi Duncan’s Inspirations in the Real-Life Sports World
Tashi Duncan’s character presents a riveting exploration of an athlete’s journey, delving into the narrative of a prodigy who faces the untimely end of her career and chooses to accomplish her dreams through her partner vicariously. The same makes for gripping cinema, allowing viewers to dissect her every decision through layers of nuances and subtexts. While the character in her entirety remains a work of fiction crafted by screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, it still possesses specific inspiration in real life. Particularly— Mirka Federer née Vavrinec, a pro tennis player who married another tennis pro, Roger Federer, plays a huge part in Tashi’s character origins.
Initially, Kuritzkes found a base inspiration for the film after the 2018 US Open Women’s singles final between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, which struck the filmmaker as pointedly cinematic. Therefore, with the idea of a tennis-driven drama in his mind, the writer found another muse in the 2019 Wimbledon match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. During that specific event, the camera consistently panned to Federer’s wife, Mirka, which caught Kuritzkes’ attention.
“She [Mirka Federer] looked so stressed out, every point,” Kuritzkes told GQ. “I was watching her and just thinking, why are you so stressed out? You guys have all the money in the world. You’ve won 20 grand slams. What’s so stressful to you? It has to be something else.” Following the same thread of thought, the screenwriter learned about Mirka’s own professional career in tennis, wherein she participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, representing Switzerland. However, her career came to an abrupt end after she experienced a foot injury, which sent her into early retirement.
Nevertheless, as per Kuritzkes’ research, Mirka ended up retaining a connection to the tennis world through her husband, Roger, whom she met at the 2000s Olympics— and started dating shortly afterward. In fact, when Roger eventually retired in 2022, he thanked Mirka for her endless support. In a video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the athlete said, “She [Mirka] has warmed me up before finals, watched countless matches even while over eight months pregnant, and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years.”
Consequently, the similarities between Tashi’s endgame, where she becomes Art’s coach, remain reminiscent of Mirka’s reality. The same translates onto the screen particularly brazenly when the story scrutinizes Tashi’s reaction to Art and Patrick’s final match, which becomes as much of a narrative tool as the players’ participation.
On the other hand, Tashi’s experiences as a player in her late teenage and young adult years present another realistic facet of the sports world by showcasing the contrast between her journey in comparison to Art and Patrick’s. The character’s identity as a Black woman shapes her interaction with tennis, adding a sense of authenticity to her character. “The door is much smaller for her,” Zendaya told Variety when talking about Tashi’s character. “It’s clear that she’s had to fight her way in and is dealing with it on the daily — what it means to be a Black girl in that space.” Similarly, Zendaya’s extensive tennis training in preparation for her performance further establishes her connections to reality, allowing her portrayal of Tashi to translate onto the screen in a realistic light. Ultimately, sporting a firm real-life inspiration, Tashi Duncan charts an entertaining journey that remains reflective of reality.
Read More: Challengers: Are Art and Patrick Bisexual? Did Patrick and Art Ever Date?
