Rome – It is very suitable that when Pope Leo XIV was elected, the Italian Open Tennis Championship was on the Vatican road.
Because tennis is the first sport that the pope likes to participate in in the United States.
“I think I am an amateur tennis player,” said Robert Prevost Leo, a Chicago-born Augustine missionary, after an interview with Augustine Order in 2023.
“I have hardly had a chance to practice since leaving Peru, so I look forward to getting back on the field,” Leo added. “It’s not that this new job leaves me with a lot of free time.”
Although Rome’s Mediterranean climate makes tennis outdoors year-round and has courts in the capital, Leo may have less time to play since he is the Pope.
But Greek professional Stefanos Tsitsipas is ranked third, and he said he would be happy to play some ball with Leo if he finds time.
“Why not?” Tsitsipas said when asked by the Associated Press after winning the second round on Friday. “I think people like this might teach human things. …I’m lucky I’m here when I announced it.”
2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff said she almost joined the crowd running towards St. Peter’s Square when she received an alert on her phone that the new pope was elected as a new pope.
“But the next day I realized that this game might not be as smart as a mile sprint,” Goff said after winning the game.
“Hopefully he’s watching some women’s tennis,” Goff said. “I don’t know if the Pope is in a sporting event…but maybe he will play in the future.”
The first round of tennis was played at Foro Italico when Leo was elected and introduced in the Vatican on Thursday.
The Leo brothers say the new pope is also a fan of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
