Inside Film’s Most Seductive Tennis Court From ‘Challengers’

Thanks to the new romantic sports drama Challengers, a little-known tennis court in Bedford, Massachusetts, is now being called the sexiest of its kind. The sexually charged film tells the story of a years-long love triangle rooted in the leads’ connections with each other and the tennis world. Zendaya stars as Tashi Donalson, a former player who now manages her husband’s career.

Actor Mike Faist plays Art Donaldson, Tashi’s husband. He’s described as a man with something to prove after going from being a world-famous Grand Slam champion to a player enduring a losing streak. His romantic and athletic opponent is his former best friend, Patrick Zweig, played by Josh O’Connor.

Adding to the film’s love triangle plot line, Patrick is also Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. The two male leads compete against each other through sport, and all three main characters competitively play romantic games.

The film’s climactic scene — the Challenger event between the two men — is a tension-filled tennis match exuding sex, sweat, and sport.

Where Is The Infamous Challengers Tennis Court Located?

According to Boston.com, the match was filmed in 2022 at the Wedgewood Club, a swim and tennis organization in Bedford, Massachusetts. It’s only open during the warmer months and has six tennis courts, various tennis teams, and lessons included with membership. Notably, the Challenger tennis match in the film ficitionally occurred in New Rochelle, New York.

Brenda Kenahan, the Wedgewood Club’s administrator, reflected in an interview with the source about the movie’s director, Luca Guadagnino.

“He had a vision, and in my opinion, it is a very visually beautiful film,” she noted. “Somebody said ‘Oh, he doesn’t know how to film tennis. And after seeing the movie I was like, yeah…  because he wasn’t filming tennis. Ninety percent of the dialogue is about tennis. There’s not a lot of conversations that weren’t about tennis. But the movie is not about tennis!”

If you’re interested in visiting the film’s memorable shooting location, you might be out of luck. The Wedgewood is a member-only club, so only those with memberships can bask in the movie’s afterglow.