I consider myself to be a fairly decent amateur player. Since I left Peru (where I worked from 2015-2023) I haven't had that many opportunities to train, so I'm looking forward to getting back out on the court, said Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, in an interview in 2023 in connection with his appointment as cardinal.
The Thursday appointment coincided with the ongoing ATP tournament in Rome, which showed an image of the new pope on the big screen during the match between home favorite Fabio Fognini and Jacob Fearnley from the United Kingdom.
Whether Pope Leo's interest in tennis will lead to the establishment of a devout tennis league in the world's smallest sovereign state remains to be seen.
As for sporting traditions, football is at the forefront in the Vatican. Since 1972, there has been a football league where teams consist of employees from the different administrative institutions.
As recently as February this year, the Vatican's secret archive took home the title after defeating Dirseco, the economists' team, 4-1 in the final.
