Originating from the 11th-century French game “jeu de paume”, tennis remains one of the most prestigious and influential sports. It’s a game associated with status and can be quite expensive to play. Want to make an impression? Pick up a racket. While tennis isn’t often a central theme in films, it’s usually featured in scenes with politicians. However, when filmmakers dive deep into the sport, they showcase the intense competition that defines it. We’ve curated a list of the best tennis films you shouldn’t miss.
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Challengers
IMDb: 7.2/10
2024, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sport
USA, Italy, R
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Top cast: Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, Zendaya
The latest hit, which has captured hearts, tells the story of events from 2019. Tennis player Art Donaldson is struggling through a tough time in his career. His wife and coach, Tashi, encourages him to make the most of the moment by entering an ATP Challenger tournament. Tashi knows what she’s talking about — she was once a promising athlete herself, but after a knee injury ended her career, she has dedicated all her energy to supporting Art. However, the tournament stirs up more than just competition. Art runs into Tashi’s ex-boyfriend and his former best friend, Patrick Zweig, for whom winning is also a matter of pride.
King Richard
IMDb: 7.5/10
2021, Biography, Drama, Sport
USA, PG-13
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Top cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal
King Richard is an inspiring film set in Compton in 1988. The story follows Richard Williams, the father of five daughters, who has long mapped out a detailed plan for their future and sticks to it with determination. Each daughter is set to follow her own path, but for eight-year-old Venus and seven-year-old Serena, that path leads to becoming tennis stars. Although Richard and his wife Brandy know little about training professional tennis players, they coach their daughters as best they can, focusing on technique. World-renowned coach Paul Cohen, who works with Pete Sampras and John McEnroe, agrees to give free lessons — but only for Venus. In response, Richard records the sessions on camera, and Brandy uses them to train Serena.
Borg/McEnroe
IMDb: 6.9/10
2017, Biography, Drama, Sport
USA, R
Director: Janus Metz
Top cast: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård
Borg/McEnroe recounts the legendary and gripping 1980 Wimbledon final, one of tennis' most memorable showdowns. This match puts two tennis greats head to head: the calm Swede, Björn Borg, and the fiery American, John McEnroe. The game turns into more than just a test of talent — it becomes a clash of different personalities. Borg/McEnroe looks at how these two opposites ended up meeting on the world's biggest tennis stage. The movie shows us how their unique characters took shape during their younger years and throughout their careers as pros giving more background to their rivalry on the court.
7 Days in Hell
IMDb: 7.1/10
2015, Comedy, Sport
USA, TV-MA
Director: Jake Szymanski
Top cast: Andy Samberg, Kit Harington, Fred Armisen
In football, a game might run for a couple of halves, but in tennis, a contest can go on for a whole week. This is the premise of the movie 7 Days in Hell. The story centers around the first round of the 2001 Wimbledon tournament, where British player Charles Poole goes head-to-head with American Aaron Williams. Both opponents are evenly matched, and their showdown lasts an incredible seven days. The film offers a “true” account of each player’s journey to this epic match, along with a detailed “retelling” of the intense battle itself. The film’s storyline is based on the historic opening match of the Wimbledon tournament in 2010 involving John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. They played for 11 hours and 5 minutes across three days until Isner won the fifth set with a score of 70-68. It stands as the longest match ever recorded in the history of official tennis tournaments.
Road to the Open
IMDb: 5.8/10
2014, Comedy, Drama, Sport
USA, PG
Director: Cole Claassen
Top cast: Troy McKay, Phillip DeVona, Michelle Gunn
Sports are all about movement, and movement is life. That seems to be the motto of the main character’s best friend in Road to the Open. He decides to help his tennis partner and close friend break free from his life’s downward spiral by encouraging him to enter an international tennis tournament, The Open. Jerry McDonald is struggling. He lost his wife to breast cancer and is raising his 10-year-old daughter alone — she’s become the center of his world. Jerry has almost given up on tennis, but his childhood friend, Miles, is determined to pull him out of his crisis. The Open becomes much more than just a tournament; it’s a path to healing.
Venus and Serena
IMDb: 6.5/10
2012, Documentary, Sport
USA, PG-13
Director: Maiken Baird, Michelle Major
Top cast: Raul Arevalo, Arthur Ashe, Victoria Azarenka
Another film about the legendary sisters, Venus and Serena Williams, examines their early path to success, which caused many different responses. Some were in awe, others admired the girls' strength and endurance, while some couldn’t move beyond doubt and bitterness. Still, the sisters kept winning tournaments. But how long could they keep it up? Venus & Serena gives us a unique glimpse into their lives during one of the toughest years of their careers. In 2011, Venus fought an autoimmune disease, and Serena faced a dangerous blood clot in her lungs. Even with these obstacles, neither allowed their challenges to stand in the way of their ambitions.
Wimbledon
IMDb: 6.3/10
2004, Comedy, Romance, Sport
USA, UK, France, PG-13
Director: Richard Loncraine
Top cast: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau
Wimbledon tells Peter's story, a guy who's having a rough time in his personal life and tennis career. His luck changes when he gets into the Wimbledon tournament out of the blue. Things keep looking up — he meets Lizzie, a top American tennis player, at the event and falls for her. With love and a boost in his game confidence, Peter starts to climb the tournament ladder. An interesting fact: the movie was filmed while the 2003 Wimbledon tournament was underway. The actors walked onto the court when real matches started or ended pretending to be actual players. The officials and spectators shown in the film weren’t actors; they were actual people present at the tournament. No one has tried this unusual filming method at Wimbledon since then.
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