Overview

• Pope Leo XIV hosted Italian tennis champion Jannik Sinner, along with his family and Italian Tennis Federation President Angelo Binaghi, in a private audience at the Vatican.
• Sinner presented the Pope with the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup trophies, won by Italy’s men’s and women’s teams in 2024.
• During the meeting, Sinner humorously invited the Pope to play tennis, but the Pope declined with a lighthearted remark about potential damage to Vatican property.
• Pope Leo XIV, a known tennis enthusiast, has expressed interest in organizing a charity tennis match to benefit papal missions, though no firm plans have been announced.
• Sinner’s visit coincides with his return to competition at the Rome Masters-1000 tournament, following a three-month doping suspension.