Yannick Sinner Meets Pope Leo XIII: A Historic Encounter Between the “Pope of Tennis” and the World No. 1
The world’s leading tennis player, Yannick Sinner, experienced a momentous occasion when he met Pope Leo XIII for the first time at the Vatican, joined by his parents and the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi.
This memorable meeting took place on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, marking one of the initial private audiences of the new Pope, ahead of scheduled visits from Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Pope Leo XIII, known for his passion for tennis—which he played in his youth—shared his enthusiasm for Sinner’s visit. Prior to the meeting, he made light-hearted remarks about the champion’s last name, which translates to “sinner” in English, adding a touch of Italian humor.
“I’m thrilled to hear he played tennis as a youth. It’s fantastic for us tennis players to have a Pope who appreciates our sport,” remarked Sinner with a grin after his victory over Jéspér De Jong, when asked about the prospect of meeting the Pope and perhaps swinging a racket together.
The highly anticipated meeting arrived sooner than expected. While competing in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Rome, Sinner had the honor of presenting the Pope with trophies for the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 and the Davis Cup 2025, which the Italian national teams recently clinched, with Sinner himself excelling in the men’s category.
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