A charity tennis match at the Vatican may be exclusive, but it won’t feature the world’s top-ranked men’s player, Jannik Sinner.
Pope Leo XIV recently joked about his amateur tennis skills but noted one big name would be missing from the match: Sinner.
During a meeting with the international media on Monday, the new American pope was asked about the possibility of a doubles game or a charity tennis match. The pope was open to the idea but joked that Sinner could not be invited, due to the player’s last name.
“We can’t invite [Jannik] Sinner,” Pope Leo XIV quipped.
Sinner, 23, has risen quickly through the tennis ranks. He has won three Grand Slam titles, all since the 2024 Australian Open, and is now regarded as one of the best players in the world.
However, it seems that Sinner won’t be meeting Pope Leo XIV anytime soon.
In February, Sinner was handed a three-month suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol, nearly a year earlier. The suspension came just weeks after his third Grand Slam win. However, the ban did not affect any of his Grand Slam titles.
Sinner explained that the positive test results were due to a massage from a trainer who had used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a small cut on his finger. The ITIA’s initial findings concluded that Sinner had not intentionally used the substance for performance enhancement.
Sinner’s suspension was lifted on May 4, and he has returned to the courts, currently competing in the Italian Open. He will aim for his fourth Grand Slam at the French Open, starting on May 25.
