The Real Meaning Of Challengers' Churro Scene & Why It's So Important

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Challengers.

Summary Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, chronicles the complicated relationship between the three main characters.

Art and Patrick's churro scene explores their sexual tension through playful teasing and physical closeness.

The churro scene reveals the deep, intimate yet competitive dynamic between Art and Patrick in Challengers.

Challengers explores the complex, 13-year-long relationship between Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson, and Patrick Zweig, and one of the movie's most significant moments regarding Art and Patrick's dynamic transpires while the two are eating churros. The 2024 romantic sports drama, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes, features three tennis players (the three aforementioned characters) whose love for the sport fuels their connections (good or bad) to one another. In the Challengers cast, Zendaya stars as Tashi, Mike Faist plays Art, and Josh O'Connor portrays Patrick, and the latter two characters' history is deep-rooted.

Challengers is now playing in theaters.

Art and Patrick, who previously met while attending boarding school, win the boys' junior doubles title at the US Open as teenagers. That night, Art and Patrick introduce themselves to Tashi (a tennis prodigy) and compete for her affection. Following a makeout scene between the three in Challengers, Tashi informs the boys that whoever wins the junior singles final the next day will get her number. Patrick ultimately prevails, but Art remains enamored by Tashi, especially as the two attend Stanford University, where the churro sequence transpires when Patrick visits his girlfriend and best friend.

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Art & Patrick's Churro Scene Explores Their Sexual Tension

Art Buys Churros For Him & Patrick At Stanford In Challengers

Image via MGM

Patrick, who is trying to go pro, visits Tashi and Art at Stanford in Luca Guadagnino's movie Challengers, and what ensues is one of the most sexually charged scenes in the film. Art buys him and Patrick churros in the school cafeteria, and just as he returns with the treats, Patrick (very noticeably) pulls Art's chair closer with his foot, teasing the audience about what's to come. Art and Patrick's faces are very close as they discuss Tashi, with Art trying to make Patrick doubt his relationship with his girlfriend, but the two friends' sexual tension takes over the interaction.

Once Patrick learns that Art is trying to sabotage his relationship with Tashi, he is almost aroused by the idea.

One would think that Patrick and Art's churro scene in Challengers would be full of negative energy as Art attempts to plant seeds of doubt and Patrick calls him out on it. However, the tension is more of a sexual nature — Patrick pulls Art's chair closer, he playfully teases his friend about being jealous of his relationship, and Art even takes a bite of Patrick's churro (and it's hard not to notice the dessert's phallic shape). Patrick and Art's relationship clearly runs deeper than just friendship, which is proven by the moment in the Stanford cafeteria in the sports drama.

Related "Sounded Like An In-Joke": Challengers' Spider-Man Reference Explained By Director Challengers director Luca Guadagnino is opening up about the accidental Spider-Man reference in Zendaya's R-rated romantic tennis drama.

What The Churro Scene Reveals About Art & Patrick's Relationship

The Important Interaction Sums Up Their Dynamic In Challengers

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Once Patrick learns that Art is trying to sabotage his relationship with Tashi, he is almost aroused by the idea. Patrick pulls his friend even closer, and the two engage in a match similar to how they play tennis — a constant back and forth as they try to best the other. The churro scene, fueled by jealousy and sexual tension, perfectly sums up Patrick and Art's intimate yet competitive dynamic in Challengers, which is why it's one of the most memorable moments in the film.

Challengers Cast Role Zendaya Tashi Duncan Mike Faist Art Donaldson Josh O'Connor Patrick Zweig AJ Lister Lily Donaldson Nada Despotovich Tashi's Mother Naheem Garcia Tashi's Father Hailey Gates Helen