WATCH: Jannik Sinner Meets With New Pope Leo XIV During Italian Open in Rome
NewsWednesday, 14 May 2025 at 14:34
The huge impact of tennis as a sport was once again on full display when Jannik Sinner became one of the first people to have a meeting with the new pope, Leo XIV.
This year's Italian Open in Rome is special. During the tournament, a new pope was elected in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost). The new pope's name was even shown on the big screen during one of the matches in Rome.
With the Foro Italico and Vatican being very close, many tennis players spoke about the Papal conclave. Funnily enough, the new pope was likely aware of this, as he is a big tennis fan.
Pope Leo XIV said that he enjoys watching and playing tennis, and during one of his sessions with the media, he even joked about a possible exhibition. When the reporter told him he would bring Andre Agassi, Leo XIV joked that he shouldn't bring Sinner, joking about the meaning of the Italian player's surname.
However, it's clear that the pope was only joking, as only a few hours after that comment, he met with Sinner, and also the President of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi. Sinner's parents, Hanspeter and Siglinde, were also present.
Sinner enjoyed a quick conversation with the pope and even gifted him his racket. The Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup trophies, which were both most recently won by Italy, were also presented at the meeting.
For Sinner, this meeting with the pope was a short distraction from the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, but he will soon need to return to action, eyeing the trophy.
What did Jannik Sinner say after reaching the Italian Open quarter-finals?
After reaching the quarter-finals by beating Francisco Cerundolo in two sets, Sinner seemed very happy about his result, especially considering that it is still only his first tournament back after a three-month suspension.
"I mean, quarters, it's a great result, no? Coming back, I just tried to put myself in the best possible position to see what's happening. I mean, I'm glad that today were so many difficult situation. That's exactly what I need trying to find my rhythm again, trying to find my mental strength again and everything together."
"It was a great match. Obviously very happy that I can play at least one more match. Let's see what's coming. Tomorrow is a day off, try to recover in the best possible way, and hopefully be ready for the next one. For the first tournament, I'm very, very happy."
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