Italian Open match interrupted to announce new Pope after player asks question
- The Italian Open match briefly paused when organizers announced Robert Prevost as the new pope during play on 2025-05-10 in Rome.
- The announcement came after a two-day papal election held at the Vatican, resulting in Cardinal Prevost being chosen as the new pope.
- Prevost, age 69 and born in Chicago, became Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, shortly before players began competing on the court.
- White smoke signaled the election, and the announcement during the match drew cheers as player Fognini asked if the news was confirmed.
- The interruption highlighted the global significance of the papal election and briefly shifted attention from tennis to Vatican City events.
20 Articles
20 Articles
With Pope Leo XIV, the sport is back in the Vatican
The sport is back in the Vatican: for the first time since the early years of John Paul II there is again a Pope with Leo XIV, who also likes to be active in sport at an advanced age. Tennis is the passion of the 69-year-old, who was elected new Pope on Thursday evening. In an interview published in September 2023 by his Augustinian Order, Robert Francis Prevost described himself modestly as quite an amateur tennis player. At the same time, he c…
Pope Leo XIV, a great tennis enthusiast: the announcement at the Atp in Rome during Fognini-Fearnley, crying and applause
At the time of the entrance of Fabio Fognini on the Central of the Internationals the white smoke and on the maxischermi immediately the images of St. Peter's Square
The moment new Pope Leo XIV was announced in the middle of a tennis match in Rome
The 2025 Italian Open (or Internazionali BNL d'Italia) is taking place in Rome this week, at the same time as other major worldwide event: the conclave for the election of Pope Francis' successor... that actually took just two days: on Thursday, May 9 at around 17 CEST , local time in Italy and the Vatican, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel. An hour later, a new Pope was announced: Robert Prevost, Leo XIV. At the same time as thousands o…
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