Jannik Sinner Reacts After Pope Leo XIV Declared He’ll Not Play Charity Match Against Him
Jannik Sinner is chasing his first title at the Italian Open which he had skipped last year due to an injury.
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Pope Leo XIV, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/BIGEAST, Jannik Sinner)
Pope Leo XIV has made it clear that he won’t be playing a charity match with Jannik Sinner. The reason?Well, it’s the English meaning of Sinner’s surname. Of course, the remark Pope Leo XIV made was only a joke.
On Monday, the new Pope, during a meeting with international media, was asked by journalists to play a doubles or a charity match. Andre Agassi‘s name was mentioned by a journalist and then, the Pope joked, “But we can’t invite Sinner.”
On the same day, Sinner played his third-round match at the Italian Open. He breezed past Jesper De Jong to schedule a match against Francisco Cerundolo. During the press conference after his win, Sinner couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear when a journalist asked the World No.1 to make his feelings known about the Pope’s comment.
Why do you have to make things difficult for me?
Jannik Sinner joked
The new Pope was elected on May 8, just a couple of days before Sinner played his first match after serving his doping ban. Pope Leo XIV is the first-ever pope from America and when he was declared as the new Pope, first-round matches were held at Foro Italico. When the announcement was made, his image on the Campo Centrale scoreboard was shown.
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.
Jannik Sinner added
Sinner’s doping ban was lifted on May 4 prior to which, he made his preparation for his comeback in Monte Carlo where, at first, he was prohibited from entering due to his ban. On his comeback, Sinner, as expected, secured a win over Mariano Navone.
Jannik Sinner analyzes his third-round match against Jesper de Jong
Jannik Sinner entered his third-round match with a 1-0 head-to-head record over Jesper De Jong. Sinner now, not only has improved this record, but he also improved his win-loss record over the players outside of the top 20 to 61-0 since the 2023 US Open.
The World No.1 has also extended his winning streak to 23 matches. After the match, Sinner, while analyzing his match, admitted that he could have played better.
Obviously, the matches are a bit different. The impact they have on our bodies is different from training. I started very well today, then had a dip, usually lasting a game and a half. Today it was three games, three and a half, but it’s normal.
Jannik Sinner said during his on-court interview
Sinner holds a 2-2 head-to-record against his fourth-round opponent Francisco Cerundolo. It was the Argentine who ended Sinner’s run in the 2023 Italian Open, beating him in the fourth round. Before scheduling the clash with Sinner, Cerundolo went past Sebastian Ofner in the third round.
Sinner has never won his home tournament, producing his best when he reached the quarterfinals in 2022, losing that match to Stefanos Tsitsipas. He skipped the tournament last year because of an injury.
If he reaches the quarterfinals, he could meet reigning Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud. He is projected to lock horns with Alex de Minaur in the semifinals and Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev in the final.
Sinner is chasing his second title of the season following the Australian Open, where he breezed past Zverev to take home his third Grand Slam title. Due to the doping suspension, the 23-year-old missed four Masters 1000 events, including the Miami Open, which he won last year. After the Rome, Sinner will play the Hamburg European Open.
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