Tennis star Sinner in the Vatican: Pope Leo XIV receives tennis rackets

The new Pope Leo XIV (69) received the Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner (23) and his family for an audience. The American Pope is himself an amateur player and tennis fan, as was the result of several interviews.

Together with a video of the meeting. In it, Sinner hands over a tennis racket to the Pope, who then jokes directly by participating in Wimbledon and makes the room laugh. Sinner also had a ball with them and offered: “If you want to play …”. The Pope declined that with a view of the magnificent hall of the Vatican in which they were: “We would break something, better not.”

The family of tennis professionals and the president of the Italian tennis association, Alberto Binaghi, were also there at the meeting. Finally, the trophy of the Davis Cup was posed, which Italy had won in the past two years.

Just a few days ago, the Pope had thrown on journalists via the tennis player’s last name. The word “Sinner” means “sinner” in English. When asked whether he would participate in a game of charity, the Pope replied translated: “But not against the sinner”. When the Sinner heard about the comment of the top of the church during a press conference, he is said to have turned red and hid his face in his hands, he asked shyly: “Why are you doing this to me?” Finally he said that it was good for tennis players if the Pope likes sport.

After a three-month doping lock, Sinner is currently in the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters in Rome. One day before his meeting with the Pope, he defeated the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo (26) in two sets.