World No. 1 Jannik Sinner paid a goodwill visit to Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, gifting the newly elected pontiff a tennis racket and offering to hit a few balls during his rest day at the Italian Open.
Leo, the first American pope and a self-proclaimed tennis enthusiast, had joked earlier in the week that a charity match would be fun – but quipped, “We can’t invite Sinner,” playing off the English meaning of the Italian star’s surname.
By Wednesday, the joke was water under the bridge. Peace was made, and tennis diplomacy prevailed.
“It’s an honor,” Sinner said in Italian as he and his parents arrived in a reception room at the Vatican’s auditorium. Holding one of his rackets and giving Leo another along with a ball, the three-time Grand Slam champion suggested a quick volley. But the pope looked around at the antiques and said, “Better not.”
Leo, 69, of Chicago, then appeared to joke about his white cassock and its suitability for Wimbledon – perhaps a nod to the All England Club’s all-white clothing rule.
He asked how the Italian Open was going.
“Now I’m in the game,” Sinner said. “At the beginning of the tournament, it was a bit difficult.”
Sinner has a quarterfinal match Thursday in his first tournament back after a three-month doping ban that was ruled to be the result of accidental contamination.
He will next face newly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud. Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
During the audience, Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, gave Leo an honorary federation card.
“We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport, and this filled us with pride,” Binaghi said in a statement. “We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon – maybe on a tennis court.”
The pope and Sinner posed for photos in front of the Davis Cup trophy, which Sinner helped Italy win for the second time last year. Also on display was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy, won by Italy in 2024 – the top women’s team event in tennis.
Earlier in the week, after Leo’s initial quip about not inviting him, Sinner said it was “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope enjoys the sport.
In addition to tennis, Leo is an avid Chicago White Sox fan.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, was a lifelong supporter of the Buenos Aires football club San Lorenzo.
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