Plot
In 2006, best friends Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson win the boys' junior doubles title at the US Open. They watch Tashi Duncan, a rising star, win the girls' junior singles final, and both Patrick and Art become infatuated with her. After meeting at a party, Tashi joins Art and Patrick in their hotel room. Tashi asks if Art and Patrick have ever been interested in each other, which they awkwardly deny. She leads all three of them to kiss, pulls back so Art and Patrick kiss each other, then abruptly ends the tryst. She promises to give her phone number to whoever wins the boys' singles final the next day. When Art asks what she wants out of the match, she states she'd want "to watch some good fucking tennis."
Patrick wins the match and later reveals to Art that he and Tashi have been seeing each other, though Tashi made him promise to keep their meetings secret. Art asks Patrick to copy Art's serve to signal if he and Tashi have slept together, and Patrick does so by placing the ball in the neck of his racket prior to serving, a tell of Art's.
In 2007, Tashi and Art play college tennis at Stanford University, while Patrick turns professional and begins a long-distance relationship with Tashi. Art suggests to Tashi that Patrick does not love her, to which Tashi angrily responds that she does not need that in a relationship. When Patrick visits Stanford to see Tashi compete, Art similarly suggests to him that Tashi does not take the relationship seriously. When about to have sex with Patrick, Tashi attempts to provide coaching on Patrick's playing, causing them to argue. Patrick skips her match as a result. While playing, Tashi is distracted and tears her ACL. Patrick comes to see Tashi, but Tashi angrily demands he leave. Art sides with her, ending his friendship with Patrick. Art aids in Tashi's recovery, but the injury ends her playing career.
In 2010, Tashi reconnects with Art, now a professional player, and becomes his coach and girlfriend. In 2011, Tashi and Art are now engaged, and Art's career is on the rise. Tashi and Patrick run into each other at the Atlanta Open and have a one-night stand, which Art notices.
In 2019, Tashi and Art are a wealthy power couple with a young daughter. Art is only one US Open title away from a Career Grand Slam but has been struggling due to injury and age. Tashi enters Art as a wild card in a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York, hoping to boost his confidence and return him to form. Meanwhile, Patrick is living out of his car and scraping by on winnings from the lower circuits. He happens to enter the New Rochelle Challenger as well, since winning the tournament would gain him entry to the US Open qualifying competition.
Sensing Art's desire to retire, Patrick asks Tashi to coach him to a last winning season and gives her his phone number. She refuses but keeps the slip of paper with his phone number on it. Starting at opposite ends of the seeding, Art and Patrick advance through the brackets until they find themselves facing each other in the final. Patrick initially tries to provoke Art the day before the final match, though he then attempts to reconnect with Art. Art rebuffs Patrick, denigrating Patrick's lack of professional success.
The evening before the final, Art tells Tashi he plans to retire at the end of the season whether he wins the Open or not. Tashi is visibly unhappy but reluctantly accepts Art's decision. That night, Tashi secretly meets with Patrick to ask him to throw the match to Art, claiming it is to boost his confidence. Patrick is disgusted but then agrees, and he and Tashi have a passionate argument before having sex inside his car.
The day of the final, Tashi watches as Art and Patrick play. Patrick wins the first set and Art the second. Although the match remains close, Art reaches a match point. Patrick signals that he has slept with Tashi by copying Art's serve tell, which Tashi cannot decode. Stunned, Art allows Patrick to score to bring the match to a final tie break.
During the tie break, Art and Patrick furiously trade groundstrokes, both reminded of their passion for the sport. The rally intensifies, and Art jumps for a volley at the net. As Art lunges for a final shot, he collides with Patrick over the net and the two embrace, while the final score is not shown. Tashi leaps from her seat and yells, "Come on!" before smiling and clapping.
