Pop Culture

The ‘Three Tickets to Challengers please’ meme, explained

Here’s what to know about the trend that’s all over social media right now.

Photo of Angela Andaloro

Angela Andaloro

'Three Tickets to Challengers' Meme Explainer

It hasn’t even been a week since its release, but it’s clear that Challengers is a major hit. The buzz around the hit film—starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor, which debuted at no. 1 at the box office, grossing over $15 million—has taken over online.

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If you spend way too much time scrolling your various feeds, you probably know that few big, buzzy releases come without meme’d moments. With many having seen the film, social media chatter about CHallengers is an all-time high—hence the ‘three tickets to challengers please’ meme coming to life.

What is the film Challengers about?

Challengers is a sports drama that features plenty of tension and intrigue, on and off the court. Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) is dominating the field of tennis, showing her prowess at handling competitors no matter when she encounters them. Warning: mild spoilers ahead!

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After turning from playing to coaching following a career-ending injury, Tashi helps her husband Art (Mike Faist) into a formidable opponent. She supports him as he dominates, until an injury and a losing streak lead to a hit to his confidence.

Determined to get him back out there and back winning, Tashi signs Art up for a “challenger” match, where he’s set to face off against Patrick (Josh O’Connor). Not only is Patrick Tashi’s ex, but Art’s ex-best friend. Everything that was left unsaid and all the tension left unexplored is suddenly back, and there are some things you can’t ignore.

Origin of the ‘three tickets to Challengers please’ meme

People who watched the three characters weave into and out of each other’s lives in friendly, romantic, and sexual capacities led viewers to one conclusion — they should have all been together. 

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While “__ tickets to ____” isn’t a new meme format, it’s bringing iconic trios into the mix to channel the Challengers vibe. 

Some of these memes are dedicated to threesomes that showed some serious potential, but we never got that moment. Others show platonic friends whose relationships were never explored, no matter how hard we were screaming at the TV, rooting for them.

And of course, there are your most scandalous threesomes, characters trapped in a love triangle where all the answers are good (but also bad). It’s basically a celebration of moments where everyone should just hug (and kiss) it out, and it’s got opinions flying all over the web.

‘Three tickets to Challengers please’ meme examples

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NBC/@SAMGRIES/X
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ABC/@laurajbrown/X
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HBO/@dumbandfunn/X
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@becca_oneal/X
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MTV/@mollyhannahm/X
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The CW/@ladiebird/X
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Lucasfilm/@GratThemeParks/X
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Netflix/@invisiblefawn/X
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Disney/@Carlos_Film/X
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Fox 2000 Pictures/@davidehrich/X


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