By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, Could 8, 2025
Photograph credit score: Dan Kitwood/Getty
Tennis has touched the Catholic Church’s non secular chief.
Archbishop Emeritus Robert Francis Prevost made historical past at the moment as the primary Pope ever from america.
The brand new Pope, who has taken the title Pope Leo XIV, has a historical past as a loyal tennis participant and fan.
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 gang in Italian and Spanish.
Pope Leo succeeds the late Pope Francis, an Argentinean Jesuit who was a loyal soccer fan as properly.
A few years earlier than the 133 voting cardinals within the conclave chosen him as Pope at the moment, the then archbishop emeritus Robert Prevost of Chiclayo in Peru informed La Nacion he was “an amazing tennis fan,” who was wanting to get again out on the court docket.
“I contemplate myself an amazing tennis fan,” Robert Francis Prevost, then the archbishop emeritus of Chiclayo informed La Nacion. “Since I left Peru I had few alternatives to observe, so I’m wanting ahead to returning to the courts.”
Given his new function 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 and spoke on to Peruvians at the moment.
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 crimson clay.
After all, a few of tennis prime stars—together with Roger Federer and spouse Mirka and Juan Martin del Potro—have met prior Popes. Del Potro, whose crucifix was misplaced throughout one in all his worldwide journeys, requested the Pope to bless his new cross.
Right here’s a gallery of some stars previous journeys to the Vatican.
Twelve years in the past this month, del Potro traveled to the Vatican to fulfill 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 unimaginable expertise with Pope Francis, one thing that I am going to always remember,” mentioned del Potro, who’s from Tandil, about 250 miles from Pope Francis’ residence 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. In the present day was a day that I am going to 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.
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