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Jannik Sinner, the world's top-ranked player, had a hectic 24 hours on his day off from the Italian Open. On Tuesday (May 13), the Italian continued his return to competition after a 90-day ban by defeating the in-form Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-3, to set up an enticing quarterfinal clash with another in-form player, Casper Ruud.
Sinner has won three matches in Rome without dropping a set. He celebrated his on-court excellence by giving himself a day off on Wednesday. However, it was a day off like no other. Sinner began the day by meeting the new Pope, Leo XIV, who is reputed to be a huge tennis fan. Sinner ended the day at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where he took in the Coppa Italia final.
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In between, Sinner managed a quickfire training session at Foro Italico. His itinerary was picked up by the Janniksin Updates X account, accompanied by footage of him at the soccer match. The caption read:
"Stadio Olimpico, Roma. 12.00 Meeting with Pope. 17.00 Training at Foro Italico. 20.00 Coppa Italia Final #MilanBologna"
Jannik Sinner is the top seed at the Italian Open. Surprisingly, he's never won his home tournament, and his quarterfinal appearance against Ruud will be the furthest he's progressed at the event.
Jannik Sinner's audience with the Pope was the highlight of his day
Pope Leo XIV has stated that he's an avid tennis fan and that one day he'd like to participate in a charity match. The pontiff is reported, per espn.co.uk, to have told a joke when asked who he'd like to play, quipping, "We can't invite Sinner." On Wednesday, the tennis ace arrived at the Vatican Auditorium with his parents to present the Pope with one of his signature tennis racquets.
Jannik Sinner suggested they play a few balls, but the Pope suggested that they "better not," given the opulence of their surroundings. Sinner later called the meeting "an honor". Also on hand was Angelo Binaghi, the head of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, who was clearly delighted that the new Pope is such a tennis fan. He said, according to ESPN:
"We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with pride. We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon, maybe on a tennis court."
Later that evening, Sinner attended the Italian Cup Final, which saw Bologna beat AC Milan 1-0. The Italian has been an AC Milan supporter since he was a boy, so he would have been unsettled by the result. However, his experience at the Vatican earlier in the day would have more than compensated for his disappointment.
