Tennis mania Pope Leo XIV meets world No. 1 Cinner in men's tennis with a big smile

May 15, 2025

Tennis mania Pope Leo XIV meets world No. 1 Cinner in men's tennis with a big smile
◇ Pope Leo XIV (right) met Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner. Photo courtesy = Vatican Media



Pope Leo XIV, known as a tennis enthusiast, met Jannik Sinner of Italy, the world No. 1 player in men's tennis, at the Vatican on the 14th (local time).

According to the Vatican's press office, Leo XIV met Cinner, his family, and Angelo Binagi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel (Indoor Abbreviated Tennis) Association, in an al-Honest room at the Vatican.

In a video released by the Vatican, Sinner greeted the pope in Italian saying `It's an honor to meet you' and handed the pope his racket and ball, suggesting he play tennis lightly with him. The Pope looked around at the antiquities around him and declined, saying, `I think we're going to break something down.' He also pointed to his white means and joked that it was a good match for Wimbledon.




In addition, Cinner asked about the progress of the Italian Open on the men's professional tennis (ATP) tour in which he is participating. Cinner, who left the court for three months due to doping discipline, returned on the 10th, when asked by the pope, `Now he is in the race"It was a little hard at the beginning of the tournament."

Leo XIV, who is known to enjoy tennis, joked at his first press conference since taking the throne on the 12th, when asked if he would be willing to play charity with American tennis legend Andre Agacy. It was humor conceived in that Sinner's last name was similar to 'Sinner', which means sinner in English. "I'm an amateur tennis player," Leo XIV said in a media interview after he was named a cardinal in 2023. "I'm waiting for the day to go back to the court because I have very few opportunities to practice since I left Peru."

Leo XIV is also known as a big fan of the Chicago White Sox of the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB).






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.