Pope Leo XIV jokes that he cannot invite top-ranked tennis player to charity match

A foundation tennis lucifer astatine the Vatican would person a tiny database of guests – but it wouldn't adjacent see the apical men's subordinate successful the world.

Pope Leo XIV precocious said helium considered himself "quite the amateur tennis player," but 1 notable sanction would beryllium omitted successful this hypothetical match.

During a gathering betwixt the caller American pope and planetary media connected Monday, journalists offered to play doubles, oregon to signifier a foundation match.

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Jannik Sinner successful enactment against Marcos Giron astatine the Australian Open astatine Melbourne Park connected Jan. 18, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

The pope is each for it, but the top-ranked subordinate would beryllium ousted done nary responsibility of his own: his past name.

"But we can't invitation [Jannik] Sinner," the pope cracked.

Sinner has won 3 expansive slams, each of which person travel since the 2024 Australian Open, and has rapidly turned himself into the champion subordinate connected the planet.

At property 23, Sinner has skyrocketed done the satellite rankings, and has won back-to-back expansive slams.

But it doesn't dependable similar he's visiting Pope Leo XIV immoderate clip soon.

Pope Leo XIV delivers the Regina Caeli supplication from the main cardinal loggia balcony of St Peter's basilica successful the Vatican, connected May 11, 2025. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

In the pope's defense, helium does person a halfway decent excuse to exclude Sinner. 

Back successful February, helium was fixed a three-month suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) aft doubly investigating affirmative for a banned anabolic steroid astir a twelvemonth ago. 

The prohibition came conscionable weeks aft the Italian tennis pro won his 3rd Grand Slam rubric – the suspension, though, avoided immoderate Grand Slams.

It was recovered that Sinner had not intentionally utilized a banned substance for competitory gain. 

Sinner tested affirmative for debased levels of metabolite of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that tin beryllium utilized for ophthalmological and dermatological use, successful March 2024. Eight days aft the Indian Wells tournament, Sinner tested affirmative again successful an out-of-competition sample. 

According to the ITIA’s archetypal findings, Sinner explained that helium had tested affirmative aft receiving a massage from a trainer who had utilized an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol to dainty a tiny coiled aft cutting his ain finger. 

Jannik Sinner reacts aft breaking the service of Jack Draper astatine the U.S. Open, Sept. 6, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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Sinner's suspension was lifted connected May 4, and helium is presently playing successful his location state astatine the Italian Open. He volition beryllium connected the hunt for his 4th expansive slam erstwhile the French Open begins May 25.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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