Overview

• Pope Leo XIV, an avid tennis fan, met Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner at the Vatican during the player's Italian Open off-day.
• The meeting followed the pope’s earlier quip, 'Just don’t bring Sinner,' referencing the Catholic connotation of Sinner’s surname, which the athlete took in good humor.
• Sinner presented the pope with a tennis racket and jokingly offered to rally, though the pope declined, citing the setting as not ideal for play.
• The private audience included Sinner’s family and representatives from the Italian Tennis Federation, highlighting shared values of discipline and perseverance.
• Sinner continues his comeback at the Italian Open after a three-month doping suspension, with a quarterfinal match scheduled for Thursday.