Top-flight tennis has received a “Zendaya bounce” in popularity in the weeks before Wimbledon thanks to the success of her Challengers film, according to a former British No 1.
Anne Keothavong, who captains Britain’s team in the Billie Jean King Cup, said she had seen a rise in interest in the sport thanks to the Dune star’s racy romantic drama about a tennis love triangle.
She was speaking at the All England Tennis Club, where the Wimbledon championships start on July 1. The club said there had been a 60 per cent increase in online sales of tennis athleisure wear compared with last year, and a 30 per cent increase in the shop, which it put down to the “tennis core” trend.
The racy romantic drama Challengers, starring Zendaya, has fuelled interest in tennis
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The film, which also stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, has even boosted online sales of athleisure wear at the All England Tennis Club
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Retailers around the