Tennis No 1 Sinner meets Pope Leo XIV: Vatican
AFP | Rome
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Tennis fan Pope Leo XIV received men’s world number one Jannik Sinner, who is currently competing in the Italian Open in Rome, the Vatican said yesterday.
The 23-year-old Italian star only returned to the circuit last Saturday, at the Italian Open, after serving a three month doping ban.
Video released by the Vatican showed Sinner shaking the hand of the Chicago-born pope and presenting him with a racquet similar to his own.
With a racquet in both men’s hands, Sinner then whipped out a ball.
“Do you want to play a little bit?” asked Sinner, dressed in a black suit.
Both men laughed, peering up at the gold fabric covered walls around them. “We’d better leave it,” joked the pope.
Sinner was accompanied by members of his family and the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi, during the visit.
He also showed the pope the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup trophies won by Italy in 2024.
The head of the Vatican’s press office earlier said that “the pope’s passion for tennis is well known”.
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