With family and tennis racket: Sinner visits the Pope

Jannik Sinner has a day off from the Masters tournament in Rome on Wednesday – but it's still a memorable day for him. He has special appointments off the court.

14 May 2025

From: fop

After his fourth-round victory on Tuesday evening, Sinner in an interview with us announced that he wanted to switch off for a bit and recharge his batteries. He put his plan into action on Wednesday morning – with a quick visit to the head of the church.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed the world's best tennis player to the Vatican. Sinner's parents, Siglinde and Hanspeter, his support staff, and association president Angelo Binaghi were present. They presented the visibly amused Pope with a tennis racket and felt ball. The brief meeting initially passed unnoticed by the media frenzy in the capital.

Jannik Sinner wants to make the most of his time away from the tennis court. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

The newly elected Pope is considered a big tennis fan. Asked about a possible charity tennis match for the papal missionary work, he jokingly replied on Monday: "Just don't bring Sinner with you." He was alluding to the ambiguity of the name Sinner, because the South Tyrolean is the world number one and his surname means "sinner" in English.

For Sinner, the Pope's visit isn't his only appointment this Wednesday. In addition to a training session, he also has a visit to the Olimpico in the evening, where his beloved club, AC Milan, will play against Bologna in the Coppa Italia final.

The 23-year-old will return to the court on Thursday. Sinner's next opponent is Casper Ruud (ATP 7), who lost in the round of XNUMX against Jaume Munar.