Tom Holland has shared that he’ll be supporting his girlfriend Zendaya’s new movie, Challengers, during the film’s opening weekend.
The 27-year-old actor took to Instagram on Saturday to celebrate the release of the tennis-themed movie, which officially hit theatres in the US on 26 April. In the post, he simply shared the poster for the movie, which shows Zendaya front in centre, as she’s wearing a pair of sunglasses that shows her two co-stars – Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist – playing a game on the tennis court.
In the caption, Holland made it clear that he’ll be watching his girlfriend’s new movie. “I know what I’m doing this weekend!” he wrote.
Many fans in the comments gushed over how the Uncharted star was cheering his partner and her career milestone on.
“We love a supportive boyfriend,” one wrote, while another added: “Soooo cute omg.”
A third wrote: “All boyfriends should be like Tom Holland who supports his girlfriend in everything she does, I really respect him so much!!!”
In Challengers, Zendaya plays Tashi, a tennis player turned coach who is training her husband Art (played by Faist) as he’s trying to make a comeback as a professional tennis star. However, things take a turn when Art has to compete against his former friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend, Patrick, who is played by O’Connor.
Throughout the last few months, Zendaya has been on a busy press tour for Challengers, with the occasional support from her boyfriend at the events. Earlier this month, he was seen at the premiere of the movie in London, where he had the opportunity to exchange a sweet kiss with his girlfriend before taking his seat in the theatre.
The Euphoria star and Holland first sparked rumours that they were dating in 2017, after starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, they didn’t confirm their romance until July 2021, when photos of them kissing in a car were published.
In her cover story for Vogue, which was published earlier this month, Zendaya reflected on her boyfriend’s rise to fame and praised him for how he handled it.
“We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight. One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man,” she said. “I definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him. But he handled it really beautifully.”
Throughout her time in the public eye, Zendaya has addressed that she doesn’t like the idea of having the intimate details of their relationship known to everyone. However, she acknowledged that she’s not going to avoid having certain experiences in life, just for the sake of keeping her relationship hidden.
“I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share,” she told Elle in August 2023. “It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
She also doesn’t hesitate to gush over some of the things she loves most about Holland. When asked who she thought had the most “rizz” out of the Dune: Part Two cast during a video with BuzzFeed in February, she answered: “Me. Hello?” After noting that everyone has their own charisma, she opted to answer the initial question by referring to her boyfriend.
“I think someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the Dune cast, but I know personally, works for me, is Mr Tom Holland,” the Disney Channel alum noted. “I’m more shy and kind of quiet, so it takes a little bit more to pull me out of my shell.”
She continued: “But he’s great at just talking to people and getting to know people. You see him on talk shows and stuff like that. He’s just naturally very good at that. Whereas for me, I’ve definitely had to pull it out of me a little bit. He’s got that natural gift.”
