Jannik Sinner and FITP President Angelo Binaghi Meet Pope Leo XIV in Vatican
VATICAN CITY, Might 14, 2025 – World No. 1 tennis participant Jannik Sinner and Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP), have been obtained by Pope Leo XIV in a personal viewers on the Vatican on Wednesday morning. The assembly, attended by Sinner’s household and Binaghi’s household, highlighted the pontiff’s recognized ardour for tennis and marked a big second of cultural and sporting recognition for Italian tennis.
The go to occurred simply throughout the Tiber River from Rome’s Foro Italico, the place Sinner is competing within the Italian Open, contemporary off a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jesper De Jong. Pope Leo XIV, a self-described “novice tennis participant” who performed the game in his youth, reportedly joked about Sinner’s final identify throughout a latest media interplay, saying he would play doubles however “can’t invite Sinner” resulting from its English which means. Sinner, responding lightheartedly in a press convention, expressed appreciation for the pope’s enthusiasm, stating, “It’s factor for us tennis gamers to have a pope who likes this sport.” He left open the potential of a future “rallying session” with the pontiff.
The viewers underscored Pope Leo XIV’s curiosity in participating with outstanding figures in sports activities, reflecting his broader mission of fostering dialogue and unity. Sinner, a religious Catholic, and Binaghi offered the pope with items, together with a tennis racket and an FITP jacket, in line with posts on X. In return, Pope Leo XIV blessed the group and gifted them rosaries, a gesture famous by Italian media shops like ANSA and Radio1 Rai. The assembly passed off shortly after the pope’s go to to the Madre del Buon Consiglio sanctuary, a website tied to his Augustinian order, signaling his lively begin to his papacy.
Italian tennis has seen a surge in international prominence underneath Binaghi’s management, with Sinner’s rise to No. 1 and Italy’s back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2023 and 2024. The Vatican encounter, extensively lined by shops like Leggo and Ultimora, was celebrated on X as a “proud second” for Italian sports activities, with customers noting the symbolic connection between Sinner’s humility and the pope’s name for faith-driven service. No official assertion from the Vatican detailed the dialog, however sources counsel the dialogue touched on youth, sportsmanship, and the position of religion in public life.
Sources: Tennis.com, ANSA, Radio1 Rai, Leggo, Ultimora, posts on X
