Zendaya Reveals What Serena Williams Told Her After Seeing 'Challengers'

The GOAT has weighed in.

Zendaya Reveals what Serena Williams told her after seeing Challengers.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's official: The greatest tennis player of all time has weighed in on Zendaya's new movie, Challengers.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Denny Direct, the Euphoria star revealed that after Serena Williams saw the film, she "definitely" knew the actors weren't using "real (tennis) balls."

"She knows," she added. "She's the best of the best."

While the stars of the film may not have been batting balls around like the real deal, Zendaya did say that she received the GOAT's stamp of approval.

"She did say that it was great considering that I had never, never touched a tennis ball before," she added.

Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and Director/Producer Luca Guadagnino seen at the "Challengers" Tour in Los Angeles on April 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and Director/Producer Luca Guadagnino seen at the 'Challengers' Tour in Los Angeles on April 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Recently, Zendaya's stylist, Law Roach, posted a series of photographs on Instagram of the star in a black-and-white Carolina Herrera gown, recreating an iconic photo shoot with Venus and Serena Williams in 1998, shot by Annie Leibovitz for an issue of Vogue.

"An ode to the GREATS @venuswilliams @serenawilliams," stylist Roach captioned the post in part. "We thank you for all you have done!"

The creative director of Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon, also re-shared the photos and thanked everyone involved for giving him the opportunity to pay homage to that iconic photo shoot featuring two of the greatest to ever play the game.

"Annie Leibovitz's iconic photo of Serena and Venus in Vogue's May 1998 issue in matching Carolina Herrera remains one of my favorite images," he captioned the slides. "I was immediately excited when @luxurylaw reached out about recreating this look for @zendaya as part of the storytelling around #challengers 🎾 Thank you so much Law! ♥️"

A post shared by Wes Gordon

A photo posted by wesgordon on

Not only has Zendaya received the Venus sisters' blessings in regards to her Challengers performance, the star shared that her parents are fans of her latest movie—something the star says she finds "hilarious" given some of the more sexual scenes throughout the film.

"They all know the rating of the movie. They know what it's about. They've been forewarned. And they've all seen Euphoria, so it's not like our first rodeo or anything," she said. "It was funny 'cause obviously I've seen the movie many times, so I know what's coming.

"They were all sitting behind me and I got to watch them watch and slowly just be like, 'Oh God,'" she added.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.