Pope Leo XIV heads the Catholic church from Vatican City -- where a secret tennis court awaits
*To the extent that he had much of a reputation outside of those in the know at the Vatican and his coterie of longtime friends in Chicago and at Villanova University, Penn., Pope Leo XIV had already told the world that tennis is his sport.
“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player,” the future Pope Leo said in an interview with the website of the Augustinian Order in 2023, when his predecessor, Pope Francis, gave him his red Cardinal’s hat on his arrival in Rome. (No, not the St. Louis Cardinals. When it comes to baseball, Pope Leo is a Chicago White Sox fan, meaning temperance and perseverance in adversity are in his wheelhouse.)
“Since leaving Peru (where he worked for the previous nine years), I have had few occasions to practice, so I am looking forward to getting back on the court,” he said.'>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6344149/2025/05/10/pope-leo-xiv-vatican-city-tennis-court/