Jannik Sinner says it’s “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope likes to play the sport. Even if Leo XIV jokingly said he wouldn’t want to arrange a game with the top-ranked player — ostensibly because of his name.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has overcome a brief lapse during the first set of a straight-sets victory over No. 93 Dutch qualifier Jesper De Jong in his second match back on tour in front of his home crowd at the Italian Open.

Sinner is currently the ATP World No. 1 with a record of 7-0 with one title this season. His first match of the Italian Open today is against Mariano Navone in the second round. Fans can expect more videos of raucous fans cheering on the 23-year-old this week at the Rome Masters.