Holy Sport: Pope Leo's Tennis Connection

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, Could 8, 2025
Picture credit score: Dan Kitwood/Getty

Tennis has touched the Catholic Church’s religious chief.

Archbishop Emeritus Robert Francis Prevost made historical past right this moment as the primary Pope ever from america within the 2,000-year historical past of the Catholic Church.

The brand new Pope, who has taken the title Pope Leo XIV, has a historical past as a faithful tennis participant and fan. 

Certainly, Pope Leo, whose father was a United States Navy veteran of World Struggle II, graduated from Villanova College with a level in arithmetic again in 1977.

The brand new Pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese and grew up a Chicago Cubs fan.

Nowadays, Pope Leo is reportedly a giant Carlos Alcaraz fan.

The brand new Pope is an Alcaraz fan! https://t.co/z8Aj71P7TX

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) Could 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV greeted a capability crowd that crammed each nook of St. Peter’s Sq. on the Vatican wishing individuals all around the world peace.

The 69-year-old Pope, who’s from Chicago, spent a lot of his profession as a missionary in South America. Standing on the balcony, Pope Leo spoke to the group in Italian and Spanish.

Pope Leo succeeds the late Pope Francis, an Argentinean Jesuit who was a faithful soccer fan as properly.

A few years earlier than the 133 voting cardinals within the conclave chosen him as Pope right this moment, the then archbishop emeritus Robert Prevost of Chiclayo in Peru advised La Nacion he was “an important tennis fan,” who was desperate to get again out on the courtroom.

“I contemplate myself an important tennis fan,” Robert Francis Prevost, then the archbishop emeritus of Chiclayo advised La Nacion. “Since I left Peru I had few alternatives to follow, so I’m trying ahead to returning to the courts.”

Given his new position as chief of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo, who praised his predecessor Pope Francis and vowed to proceed his work caring for the struggling, most likely received’t have an excessive amount of time for tennis. The brand new Pope holds each United States and Peruvian citizenship.

Que al nuevo Papa, Prevost… ¡le gusta el tenis! 🎾

“Me considero un tenista newbie. Desde que me fui de Perú he tenido un par de ocasiones de jugar. Estoy deseando volver a la pista”

Se banca desde ahora mismo 😄 pic.twitter.com/kz49jaSyG6

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) Could 8, 2025

As 1000’s gathered in St. Peter’s Sq. to see and and listen to the brand new Pope, 1000’s of tennis followers had been a number of miles away watching all of the motion on Rome’s purple clay.

In fact, a few of tennis high stars—together with Roger Federer and spouse Mirka and Juan Martin del Potro—have met prior Popes. Del Potro, whose rosary was misplaced throughout considered one of his worldwide journeys, requested the Pope to bless his rosary.

Right here’s a gallery of some stars previous journeys to the Vatican.

Embed from Getty Photographs

Twelve years in the past this month, del Potro traveled to the Vatican to satisfy his fellow Argentinean, Pope Francis.

As a present to His Holiness, del Potro gave Francis his Wilson racquet he used to shock reigning champion Roger Federer for the 2009 US Open title. That reward introduced a giant smile to the Pontiff’s face.

“It was an unbelievable expertise with Pope Francis, one thing that I will always remember,” stated del Potro, who’s from Tandil, about 250 miles from Pope Francis’ dwelling city of Buenos Aires. “It was a dream come true for a man like me. It was an unforgettable second.

“I used to be very nervous earlier than assembly him, to have the ability to congratulate him and discuss with him. He was good. All people is aware of he’s very humble. At the moment was a day that I will keep in mind for ever.”

Del Potro met the Pope at Mass on the Vatican. Fellow Argentines Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and Croatia’s Marin Cilic additionally attended.