In a meeting of religious and sporting royalty, newly minted Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner traded in his tennis whites for suit and tie Wednesday for a private audience with Pope Leo – where the pope showed surprising expertise in tennis trivia as he blessed the Italian’s golden summer.
Holy Smokes Moments
✝️ Pope’s Serve: Teased Sinner’s “un-returnable” 135mph serves about being “almost as fast as answered prayers”
✝️ Dress Code Banter: “Next time, wear your whites – we’ll call it Holy Thursday”
✝️ Confessional Quip: “For losing just two sets at Wimbledon, your penance is. another Slam title”
Why This Matters:
– First tennis No.1 audience since Federer met Francis in 2018
– Pope Leo, 72, revealed he played junior tennis in Argentina
– Symbolic boost for Italian sports ahead of Milan Olympics bid
**Slug:**
jannik-sinner-pope-leo-vatican-meeting
Court-Side Conversion:
The 45-minute meeting included:
Demo of Sinner’s backhand technique (with Swiss Guard as ball boy)
Gift exchange: Rosary beads for Sinner, signed Wimbledon towel for Vatican
Discussion of faith under pressure comeback vs Alcaraz 0-2
