"Had to pick Pope today or it would be overshadowed by Jannik Sinner return"- Tennis fans react hilariously to Pope Leo XIV's election
Tennis fans around the globe have hilariously shared their opinion on the new Pope being elected in light of Jannik Sinner's Italian Open return. The World No. 1 was suspended for three months after testing positive for a banned substance called Clostebol.
Sinner was last seen in action at the Australian Open, where he successfully defended his title. He outfoxed Alexander Zverev without breaking a sweat in the final, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Fans couldn't help but include the new Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, who is an American, into the tennis discussion on tour. One fan even pointed out that they "had to pick a pope today" to not get overshadowed by Sinner's return.
"They had to pick a pope today or it would be overshadowed Jannik Sinner return."
One of them hilariously connected the dots and wrote:
"The new pope is a Francis-style reformer who plays tennis. The arc of the universe is long but it bends toward tennis leftism."
Another user said:
"We really got an American Pope before the next American male singles Grand Slam champion."
Another user highlighted that the Pope was an Alcaraz fan and a tennis enthusiast:
"The new Pope is a tennis fan and in particular a fan of Carlitos. He sure is a good man."
One of them hilariously mentioned:
"NEW POPE=LEO, JANNIK SINNER=LEO, LEOS GLORIOUS IN ROME."
One user wished this news would help Sinner and F1 racer Charles Leclerc win in their respective sport.
"NEW POPE MEANS JANNIK SINNER ROME OPEN WIN AND CHARLES LECLERC IMOLA WIN WATCH THIS SPACE."
Jannik Sinner has never won the Italian Open, and will begin his campaign against Mariano Navone this year
Jannik Sinner is making his sixth appearance in the Italian Open this week. He has never won the competition in the past. He reached the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in 2022, which is his best result at the event.
Despite a resilient performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek defeated him in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-2. The Italian will take on Argentine Mariano Navone in the second round. The head-to-head between the duo is locked at 0-0.
Sinner is most likely to compete in the evening session on Saturday (May 10, 2025). It will surely be a highly anticipated event as fans eagerly wait for the Italian's return, that too on his home turf.