Pope Leo XIV holds court with tennis star Jannik Sinner

VATICAN CITY — Perhaps taking a cue from Jesus Christ himself, who the Bible says “welcomed sinners,” Pope Leo XIV held a private audience with a big sinner at the Vatican on Wednesday.

Tennis champion Jannik Sinner, that is.

The new pontiff, 69, received Sinner, the 23-year-old ginger-haired Italian tennis star ranked No. 1 in the world by Association of Tennis Professionals, in a room near the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall. Members of Sinner’s family also were in attendance, as was Alberto Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis Federation.

The Italian Open tennis tournament is underway this week in Rome.

Sinner presented the pontiff with a tennis racket and suggested they might hit a few balls, to which the Chicago-born Leo chuckled and demurred saying in perfect Italian, “Here we'll break something. Best not to!"

He also appeared to joke again in Italian about his white papal garb being appropriate garb for Wimbledon, where there’s all-white clothing only rule.

At an audience Monday with more than a thousand members of the global media, a journalist reportedly asked Leo if he’d participate in a charity tennis match.

“I’ll bring [Andre] Agassi,” the reporter said, to which the new pontiff quipped, “Just don’t bring [Jannik] Sinner,” seeming to enjoy the play on words.

In the earliest days of any pontificate, every guest received, each gesture made and any preference expressed by the new pope is scrutinized for meaning as the world comes to know the new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics and the most visible Christian in the world.

Today, because of his audience with Sinner, many pope watchers learned that, in addition to being a Chicago White Sox fan, Leo has a passion for the game of tennis, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

During the audience, Binaghi gave Leo, who reportedly has a mean backhand, an honorary Italian tennis federation card.

“He’s also a big Romanista,” the Rev. Joe Farrell, vicar general of the Order of St. Augustine said Wednesday afternoon while giving the Sun-Times a tour of the Augustinians’ tennis court that has a picture-perfect view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica two blocks away.

Romanistas are supporters of the Italian professional football team AS Roma.

“The Holy Father would play tennis here probably at least once a week since he came back to Rome as cardinal” in 2023, Farrell said.

Will he be able to do that as pontiff?

“I doubt it, at least not here,” Farrell said as three Augustinian students hit a tennis ball back and forth on the religious order’s tennis court with the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica rising in the middle distance.

“I don’t know if they have one across the street,” he said, meaning on the grounds of the Vatican proper.

They do. Behind the Vatican Museum, there is a hidden, private red clay tennis court, built in 1934 at the direction of Pope Pius XI. Once upon a time, cardinals and members of the Swiss Guard competed against each other in a “Tournament of Friendship.”

In a 2023 interview with an Augustinian website, then-Cardinal Prevost talked about his love for the “sport of kings.”

“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player,” Prevost said. “Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice, so I am looking forward to getting back on the court [laughs].

“I also really enjoy reading, taking long walks, and traveling — seeing and enjoying new and diverse places. I enjoy relaxing with friends and meeting a broad range of different people,” the soon-to-be pontiff said.

“To tell the truth, as an Augustinian, having a rich community built on the ability to share with others what happens to us, to be open to others, has been one of the greatest gifts I have been given in this life,” he continued. “The gift of friendship brings us back to Jesus himself. To have the ability to develop authentic friendships in life is beautiful. Without a doubt, friendship is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us.”

Contributing: Associated Press and Vatican News