15 May,2025 12:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Jannik Sinner, Pope Leo XIV (Pic: X/@janniksin)
The Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner visited the new Pope Leo XIV and gifted him a racket, asking him to play on an off day at the Italian Open.
Leo is an enthusiastic tennis player and fan. Earlier, the 69-year-old said that he would be up for a charity tennis match when a journalist suggested him.
Joking about the Italian star at the time, Leo said, "We can't invite Sinner".
During the interaction with the Pope, Sinner said, "It's an honour for him" in Italian. Later, the 23-year-old suggested Leo for a quick volley, but the head of the Catholic Church looked at the antiques around them and said, "Better not".
Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, then appeared to joke about his white cassock and its appropriateness for Wimbledon, perhaps a reference to the All England Club's all-white clothing rule.
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When asked about his Italian Open campaign, Sinner said, "Now I'm in the game. At the beginning of the tournament, it was a bit difficult".
On Thursday, Jannik Sinner will have a quarterfinal match after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination.
He will next face freshly 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, the head 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. We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon, maybe on a tennis court," Binaghi said in a statement.
Later, Pope and Jannik Sinner posed for the photo in front of the Davis Cup trophy that the 23-year-old helped Italy win last year.
Also on display in the room was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy won by Italy in 2024, the biggest women's team event in tennis.
(With AP Inputs)
