NEW YORK — About 10 minutes into the movie '' Challengers,'' Zendaya's character's daughter pokes her head into a room and asks about watching something on TV together.
''Of course we can. We're just talking about tennis right now,'' comes the mom's response. To which the child replies: ''But you're always talking about tennis.''
Sure seems that way in the broader world of pop culture right now as the U.S. Open arrives to wrap up the Grand Slam season. Tennis is having a moment even before play begins at Flushing Meadows on Monday — from the Zendaya vehicle's use of the sport as a backdrop for its three-person love story, to the way Roland Garros serves as a setting in Season 4, Episode 1 of ''Emily in Paris,'' to recently released docuseries about Serena Williams and Roger Federer and an upcoming show about Carlos Alcaraz, to Williams' turn as host of the ESPYs, to the roles played by Coco Gauff, Rafael Nadal, Amelie Mauresmo and Williams in the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics.
And so on.
''Tennis is very deeply intertwined in the culture and the zeitgeist now. And it's great to see,'' said Jill Smoller, the longtime agent for Williams. ''With all the movies and TV, the continued crossover between sports and fashion — in almost every sector, you're seeing some athlete, somewhere, being represented.''
The sport is emerging from a golden era on the court, with Williams claiming a women's-record 23 Grand Slam singles titles before walking away in 2022, Novak Djokovic up to 24 and still going, Nadal at 22 and Federer, who announced his retirement two years ago, at 20.
Now there is a new group of young stars. There's the No. 1-ranked woman, Iga Swiatek, who already owns five major championships at age 23. Alcaraz has four, including the past two at the French Open and Wimbledon, and he's 21. Gauff, whose first Slam trophy came at Flushing Meadows a year ago, is 20.
It's off the court, though, where the spotlight is brightest these days.
