Pope meets Sinner: No. 1 player gives Pope Leo XIV a racket on Italian Open off day

Italy's Jannik Sinner shares a airy infinitesimal with Pope Leo XIV connected the juncture of their gathering astatine the Vatican, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Vatican Media/AP hide caption

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Vatican Media/AP

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has made bid with Jannik Sinner.

The top-ranked tennis subordinate visited the caller pope connected Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an disconnected time for Sinner astatine the Italian Open.

Leo, the archetypal American pope, is an avid tennis subordinate and instrumentality and had said earlier this week that helium would beryllium up for a foundation lucifer erstwhile it was suggested by a journalist.

But astatine the time, Leo joked "we can't invitation Sinner," an evident notation to the English meaning of Sinner's past name.

By Wednesday, each seemed forgotten.

"It's an honor," Sinner said successful Italian arsenic helium and his parents arrived successful a reception country of the Vatican's auditorium. Holding 1 of his rackets and giving Leo different and a ball, the three-time Grand Slam champion suggested a speedy volley. But the pope looked astir astatine the antiques and said, "Better not."

Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, past appeared to gag astir his achromatic cassock and its appropriateness for Wimbledon, possibly a notation to the All England Club's all-white covering rule.

He asked however the Italian Open was going. "Now I'm successful the game," Sinner said. "At the opening of the tournament, it was a spot difficult."

Sinner has a quarterfinal lucifer connected Thursday successful his archetypal tourney backmost aft a three-month ban for doping that was judged to beryllium an accidental contamination.

He volition adjacent look freshly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud. Sinner is attempting to go the archetypal Italian antheral to triumph the Rome rubric since Adriano Panatta successful 1976.

During the audience, Angelo Binaghi, the caput of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, gave Leo an honorary federation card.

"We each felt the passionateness that Leo XIV has for our athletics and this filled america with pride," Binaghi said successful a statement. "We anticipation to clasp the Holy Father again soon, possibly connected a tennis court."

The pope and Sinner posed for photos successful beforehand of the Davis Cup trophy that Sinner helped Italy triumph for the 2nd consecutive clip past year. Also connected show successful the country was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy won by Italy successful 2024, the biggest women's squad lawsuit successful tennis.

Earlier successful the week, aft Leo's archetypal quip astir not wanting to invitation him, Sinner said it was "a bully happening for america tennis players" that the caller pope likes to play the sport.

In summation to tennis, Leo is an avid Chicago White Sox shot fan.

His predecessor, Pope Francis, was a lifelong instrumentality of Buenos Aires shot nine San Lorenzo.