Vatican City – Jannik Sinner, world number 1 in tennis, was received this morning by Pope Leo XIV together with the president of FITP, Angelo Binaghi, and their respective families.
A meeting between smiles and jokes, with the champion from Alto Adige who gave the Pope a tennis racket, jokingly challenging him: "Do you want to play?".
Showing the room with lamps and furniture, Leo XIV he replied laughing: “Let's leave it, it's better not to here”, adding ironically: “At Wimbledon they would leave me…”.
Accompanied by his parents, Sinner he introduced the family, confirming that they speak German, while Binaghi gave the Pope the membership card of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation.
The Pontiff complimented the victory yesterday at the Rome International: “You won,” he said, with Sinner responding: “We did it.” On the tournament, the tennis player added: “We are in the game, it was difficult at the beginning, but with three matches we got into the swing of things.” A meeting that united sport and spirituality, with the Pope and the champion exchanging smiles and gifts.
Article published on May 14, 2025 - 13:42 pm
Video Chronicles
The meeting between Jannik Sinner and Pope Leo XIV seems to have been very interesting. It is nice to see high-level athletes interacting with religious figures. The gifted racket is a nice gesture but I do not know if the Pope actually plays.