The Best Tennis Films To Watch During Wimbledon
Couldn’t make it to Wimbledon this year, but feeling the love for all things racquets and nets? As the world-famous tournament gets underway, we’ve put together a list of the best tennis-themed films to watch as you reach for a glass of Pimm’s. From fictional dramas like Challengers to historical biopics like Battle of the Sexes, it’s easy to get an extra tennis fix.
Wimbledon
The namesake film of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament isn’t quite as lofty and epic as it might sound, but Wimbledon is a solid rom-com that gives you a bit of the atmosphere of SW19. Released in 2004, then-ascendant Hollywood stars Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst play Peter Colt and Lizzie Bradbury, two players from different backgrounds who meet. Peter is a Brit in his 30s, from a wealthy family and close to calling time on his career. Lizzie is American and is fast rising in the world of tennis, and the two fall in love. With Peter out of form and playing as a wildcard, he doesn’t have much faith in his winning ability, but finds Lizzie’s affection gives him newfound determination.
watch on Now
Battle of the Sexes
The first biopic on our list is Battle of the Sexes, which is based loosely on the world of 1970s tennis. The now legendary Billie Jean King is played here by Emma Stone, opposite Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, as the two players agree to what would become a famous 1973 match between them. There’s plenty to say, of course, about the gender politics that made the game so memorable, with Riggs being a self-styled “male-chauvinist” and Jean King a trailblazer for women’s tennis, but underneath it all are more complex and layered people. Jean King has a quiet relationship with a hairdresser (Andrea Riseborough) that could threaten her career if made public, and Riggs is having trouble with his marriage and self-worth.
watch on Disney+
Challengers
If you had to think of “a film about tennis”, Challengers is probably the one that would pop into your head these days, and for good reason: the romantic sports drama caught plenty of social media attention for it being Zendaya’s first major lead role, and for launching the careers of Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. Luca Guadagnino directs this story of professional tennis player Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) who had to retire due to injury, and turns to coaching her husband Art into a grand slam champ. After a series of bad losses, she sets up a challenge match between him and her old flame, Patrick (Josh O’Connor). Sparks fly and tensions run high both on and off the pitch — and it’s worth watching just for some of the stunning cinematography and kinetic match sequences.
watch on Amazon Prime
Borg Vs McEnroe
Released the same year as Battle of the Sexes but set in the early 80s, Borg V McEnroe charts the storied, intense rivalry between Björn Borg and John McEnroe, two of the best players to pick up a racket. The Swedish multi-Grand Slam winner Borg is played by Sverrir Guðnason, while American McEnroe (of “you cannot be serious!”) fame is played by Shia LeBeouf. In 1980, the Swede is the current world No.1 and feeling the heat going into Wimbledon yet again, while the American is a young player beginning to gain a reputation for his colourful on-court personality. As Wimbledon begins, the two players discover that they both have a chance to become champion, setting them up for a fierce battle that will culminate in one of the all-time great tennis matches in the final.
watch on disney+
King Richard
The film Will Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for King Richard is another tennis biopic that follows the life of Richard Williams, who coached and mentored his children, Serena and Venus, to stardom. Everyone knows the Williams sisters, but not the man who got them there. Coming from a background of little wealth and having experienced discrimination and hardship in his life, Richard decides to plan for his children to have a better future than he had. Taking them to the training courts in Compton, California, he begins to coach his daughters in the art of tennis, with his dogged determination seeing them rise to professional ranks and eventually achieve Wimbledon glory.
watch on Amazon Prime
Match Point
Scarlett Johansson stars in this tennis-themed thriller with romantic elements, opposite The Tudors star Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Chris (played by Meyers) is a former tennis pro who marries into a wealthy family after meeting Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) and his sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer). However, things start to go sideways when he then falls for Tom’s own girlfriend, actress Nola (Johansson), and the two begin to have an affair. Of course, the potential discovery of their developing relationship would blow his marriage apart and cause him to lose his newfound social status, and he begins to devise ways of avoiding his brother-in-law’s suspicions.
watch on Itvx
Citizen Ashe
The last entry on our list is not a narrative film but a documentary, exploring the life and career of famed player Arthur Ashe. Ashe became the first and only Black man to win titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, and his legacy was recognised with the naming of the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows. Citizen Ashe follows not only his triumphs on the court but also his personal life, including his political beliefs and activism, which became more central to him during the 1960s following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. His activism against apartheid and for AIDS awareness is also covered, and there are references to modern players like Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and the Williams sisters.
watch on apple tv
