Wait, is there actually a threesome scene in Challengers?

When the first trailer for Challengers dropped, there was one overwhelming response: is this the movie where Zendaya has a threesome with two hunky men?

For a time before I learned the name of the film, I simply called it 'the Zendaya tennis threesome movie' and I doubt I'm the only one.

The erotic thriller by Luca Guadagnino features Zendaya as former tennis prodigy Tashi, who has spent most of her adult years in a love triangle with tennis pros and ex-friends, Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist), who compete for her on and off the court.  

The first trailer offered a sneak peek of what was to come but a scene featuring Zendaya on a bed with the two other actors caught the most attention, as it alluded to some sort of threesome sex scene to come. 

Watch the trailer and the scene in question here. Post continues after video.

So now that the film is out, what exactly goes down in this alleged sex scene between the characters played by Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, and Zendaya? 

Wonder no more, we've got you covered. 

What happens in the threesome sex scene in Challengers?

Not as much as you'd expect. 

Yes, the scene is very sexy but no actual ménage à trois unfolds. 

In the long scene, after meeting at a party and spending some time at the beach, the two men invite Tashi to their shared room. The three young tennis players drink beer before Tashi invites the fellas to sit with her on the bed. 

She then kisses each lad before they have a three-way kiss that ends in the boys pashing each other, as Tashi watches on grinning, suggesting she's getting off on it. 

And that's... it. 

Tashi abruptly exits the room and no one even takes an item of clothing off. It's all rather modest. 

After all the hype surrounding the film's threesome, Zendaya has cleared up any assumptions about the sexual content in Challengers. 

"I’ve been asked a lot about sex scenes, like, 'What was it like shooting the sex scenes?'... and I’m like, ‘What sex scenes?’," Zendaya told reporters at the LA premiere.

"We keep saying tennis is the sex in the movie, and I think tennis holds a metaphor for a lot of things: desires, passion, pain, anger, frustration." 

Listen to The Spill's interview with Zendaya. Post continues after podcast.

This is true. There may not be any actual sex scenes in Challenges but sexual chemistry permeates through almost every scene, whether it's the foreplay of a one-on-one tennis match or the tense moments between Tashi and her chosen man of the moment, Art or Patrick.

The film masterfully buzzes with tension from the unpredictable cinematography to the heart-stopping soundtrack, which leaves every audience member constantly edging for a moment that never comes. 

"There’s so much in just glances," Zendaya told Empire. 

"The tension builds. Not having the release is a good thing sometimes."

Feature image: Warner Bros.