Social media is abuzz after Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Wednesday. The meeting quickly grabbed attention on the internet, sparking a flurry of online reactions, many filled with humorous takes and unintended puns.
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One post reading, “This is the best visual representation of ‘Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner’ I have ever seen,” capturing the internet’s mood.
Another post drew attention, highlighting a headline from a news agency that read, “Sinner hears Pope Leo’s tennis confession”, a clever play on words blending tennis and Catholic symbolism. The pun hinges on Jannik Sinner’s last name, which coincidentally aligns with the religious concept of a "sinner" seeking confession, a common practice in the Catholic faith.
Take a look at the post:
Sinner, accompanied by his parents and representatives from the Italian Tennis Federation, was invited to the Vatican for a special audience with the newly elected pontiff. Pope Leo XIV, formerly US Cardinal Robert Prevost, is known to be a tennis enthusiast, once describing himself in a 2023 interview on the Augustinian order’s website as “quite the amateur tennis player.”
{{/usCountry}}Sinner, accompanied by his parents and representatives from the Italian Tennis Federation, was invited to the Vatican for a special audience with the newly elected pontiff. Pope Leo XIV, formerly US Cardinal Robert Prevost, is known to be a tennis enthusiast, once describing himself in a 2023 interview on the Augustinian order’s website as “quite the amateur tennis player.”
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this week, the pope had jokingly dismissed the idea of playing against the world number one. When asked by a journalist if he would consider a charity match, Leo responded with a smile: “Just don’t bring Sinner,” making a pun out of the athlete’s surname.
During the meeting, Sinner gifted the pope one of his tennis rackets. When someone suggested they hit a few balls, the pope looked up at the high ceiling and replied, “Better not,” prompting laughter in the room.
The tennis star, currently competing in the Italian Open being held not far from the Vatican, was asked about the pope’s comments during a press conference. Blushing and hiding his face in his hands, he said, “Why do you have to put me in a difficult spot?” before adding, “Obviously I heard that he played as a kid. I think it’s a good thing for us tennis players to have a pope who likes this sport that we’re playing.”