Yannick Sinner Meets Pope Leo XIII: The “Pope of Tennis” and the World No.1 in a Historic First Meeting
The world’s top-ranked tennis player, Yannick Sinner, had a special meeting when he had the honor of meeting Pope Leo XIII for the first time at the Vatican. He was accompanied by his parents and the president of the Italian Tennis Federation and Pandel, Angelo Binaghi.

The meeting took place on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, and was one of the first private audiences of the new Pope, even before the scheduled visits of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Pope Leo XIII, known for his love of tennis — a sport he played in his youth — expressed his excitement about Sinner’s visit. In the days prior, joking about the champion’s surname (which means “sinner” in English), he also elicited some Italian humor.

“Of course, I heard he played tennis when he was young. I think it’s wonderful for us tennis players to have a Pope who loves this sport,” Sinner said with a smile after his victory over Jéspér De Jong, when asked if he would like to meet the Pope — and perhaps exchange some shots with the racket.

The moment of the meeting eventually arrived sooner than expected. Sinner, who is currently competing in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Rome, had the opportunity to personally present the Pope with the trophies for the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 and the Davis Cup 2025, which the Italian national teams won this year — with Sinner himself shining in the men’s category.