The Italian Open crowd has had plenty of local success to celebrate over the last week-and-a-half, with Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti reaching the semifinals of the men’s draw, and Jasmine Paolini reaching the final on the women’s side.

Pope Leo XIV has apparently made peace with Jannik Sinner. The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open.

On the heels of having his MLB fandom confirmed last week, Pope Leo XIV's sports credentials keep getting stronger after a meeting with the best men's tennis player in the world.