Romeo Beckham makes acting debut in steamy gay tennis romance 'Forty Love'

Romeo Beckham is swapping the football pitch for the tennis court as he makes his acting debut in steamy new gay romance Forty Love.

The 24-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham stars opposite acclaimed French actor Paul Kircher in the upcoming film, which explores love, desire and rivalry in the high-pressure world of professional tennis.

A newly released trailer offers the fullest glimpse yet of Beckham in his debut role, playing the charismatic new rival of 21-year-old tennis prodigy Sacha Gallo, portrayed by Kircher.

Sacha has spent his life training with his father with one goal in mind: winning a major tennis title in Paris. But the arrival of Beckham’s character throws both his sporting ambitions and understanding of himself into turmoil.

What begins as an intense rivalry between the two players soon develops into something considerably more intimate, with the trailer teasing kisses, bedroom scenes and heated confrontations both on and off the court.

At one point, Beckham’s character tells Sacha: “It’s not my fault if you’re f***ing in love with me.”

Another moment sees him field a question about his rival during a press conference, responding: “I don’t want to sound like I want to be his boyfriend.”

The latter line appears to deliberately echo a memorable comment made by tennis great Rafael Nadal about longtime rival Roger Federer during the 2017 US Open, giving the real-world exchange a distinctly queer twist.

The film’s official synopsis describes love as an entirely new kind of opponent for Sacha, one that proves more destabilising than anything he has encountered on the court.

Forty Love marks the feature directorial debut of fashion photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti, who co-wrote the film with Gaëlle Macé.

Producer Hugo Sélignac has described the film as a “sensual, romantic and deeply moving romantic fable and coming-of-age story”, exploring both the demands of elite sport and what lies beneath its competitive surface.

Beckham and Kircher are joined by Guillaume Canet and Benjamin Voisin, while French screen legend Catherine Deneuve also makes a special appearance.

The movie represents another career shift for Beckham, who previously pursued football before moving into fashion and modelling. He has worked with luxury fashion houses including Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

He also has some real-life experience on the tennis court, having taken up the sport when he was younger and even trained with former world number one Andy Murray.

Forty Love now sees Beckham bring that sporting background to the screen in a very different kind of tennis contest, complete with clay courts, sweat, sexual tension and a romance threatening to upend both players’ ambitions.

The film is due to arrive in French cinemas in November, with international release plans yet to be confirmed.