“Shall we play?” asked the world tennis number one Pope Leo XIV, “Here, perhaps better not,” replied the Pontiff. Jannik Sinner and the newly elected Pope clearly had a whale of a time during a private audience at the Vatican on Wednesday morning.
It all started with a humorous exchange between the Pontiff and a journalist two days ago about the possibility of organising a charity tennis match. The reporter had jokingly proposed the participation of veteran US tennis player Andre Agassi. “As long as he doesn’t bring Sinner” the Pope commented, clearly enjoying a pun with the tennis player’s surname.
A case of ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’?
But then, world tennis champion Jannik Sinner, accompanied by his parents Hanspeter and Siglinde and the President of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation Angelo Binaghi, met Pope Leo XIV in the rooms behind the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican.
For the occasion, the Pontiff received a racket and Federation membership card as a gift from the young tennis player. Binaghi also brought the trophies won by the men’s national team (the Davis Cup in Malaga, with Sinner as the protagonist) and the women’s national team (the Billie Jean King Cup).
Sinner, who hails from South Tyrolia, a germanophone part of Italy (which explains his parents first names) is Italy’s first big tennis star in a long while, as the sport doesn’t usually feature many names from the Bel Paese, particularly in the men’s game.
“An immense honour to meet Pope Leo XIV,” commented an emotional Sinner. The world champion expressed joy at the Pontiff’s interest in the sport of tennis, which he was able to play during his mission in Peru. “We breathed all the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with pride,” commented Binaghi.
It was one of Pope Leo XIV’s first private audiences, with Sinner setting foot in the Vatican before Prime Minister Meloni or President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.
