Pope Leo XIV picks Andre Agassi & jokes about not wanting Jannik Sinner as opponent for charity showdown

The new Pope Leo XIV picked Andre Agassi and decided to keep Jannik Sinner at an arm's length in a charity showdown. Robert Francis Prevost, who was elected as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church on May 8, is interestingly a tennis fan and considers himself an amateur-level player.

Tennis fans were delighted to find out that the new Pope is also a fan of their favorite sport. Prevost shared that he was finding it hard to get some practice due to a lack of time since he left Peru. Funnily enough, the new Pope was the talk of the tennis town a few days back as well, when a claim of him being a Carlos Alcaraz fan went viral on social media.

“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player,” he said during an interview in 2023 (via The Pillar). “Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice so I am looking forward to getting back on the court.”

During his latest meeting with the press at the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, a journalist asked the Pope to conduct a charity tennis match, due to his love for the sport, for the Pontifical Missionary Works, to which Prevost responded positively (via Sky Sport Italia).

"Of course, that's fine," the Pope responded.

However, the journalist then revealed that he would bring Andre Agassi to take part in the match.

"I'll bring Agassi," the journalist said.

The Pope then joked that he was okay with that and then seemingly used a hilarious play of words by asking the journalist not to bring Jannik Sinner.

"Just don't bring Sinner," the Pope joked.

On the tennis side, Jannik Sinner has finally made his much-anticipated return to tennis in front of his home crowd at the Italian Open. Interestingly, Agassi is also set to return to tennis in a never-before-seen role.

Andre Agassi will return to tennis at the 2025 French Open in a never-before-seen role

Andre Agassi - Source: Getty

Early in April this year, tennis journalist Jon Wertheim shared a press release he had received, which contained a blockbuster message featuring Andre Agassi. The American is set to lend his tennis expertise to TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery's 2025 French Open team and serve as a studio analyst for the semifinals and the final.

"TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery - the largest global media partner of Roland Garros - today announced eight-time Major champion and tennis icon Andre Agassi will join their coverage of the only clay-court Grand Slam this May. Agassi, a three-time finalist in Paris and the 1999 Men's Singles Champion, will be a studio analyst during the Semifinal and championship rounds of Roland Garros," an excerpt read.

Andre Agassi will also be joined by the likes of Venus Williams, Chris Evert, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, and many other big names.