In his first month as pontiff, Leo XIV has already granted various audiences to athletes, such as Italian soccer champions SSC Napoli and tennis star Jannik Sinner. When he received a racket from Sinner, the Pontiff joked that he could play at Wimbledon.
But before the famous London tournament, will he be able to practice the sport on the Vatican's 109 acres near the Tiber?
“No, there are no longer any tennis courts in the Vatican,” replies Giampaolo Mattei, president of Athletica Vaticana, the first Vatican foundation dedicated to sport.
According to the Italian, there used to be a court, but it was dismantled because it had fallen into disrepair. Satellite images on Google Maps still show traces of the clay court.
However, Leo XIV can always enjoy another popular racket sport in Italy: “padel,” a sort of mix of squash and tennis, which now has its own court in the Vatican.
Within the Leonine Walls, sports facilities are actually rather limited. The Swiss Guards have a small gym for their private use. For training, the pope's soldiers can also run in the sublime setting of the Vatican Gardens. But nothing more is done for team sports, for example.
As part of the small state's soccer championship, the 13 Vatican teams have to play on the Petriana field, which is not on Vatican territory but has the advantage of a view of St. Peter's dome. The sports complex belonging to the Knights of Columbus, located on Gelsomino Hill, also has a swimming pool and a basketball court that are used by Vatican residents.
The Vatican, a multi-sport venue
In Vatican City, the sports complex once used by John Paul II is now mainly used for a summer camp for employees' children (Estate ragazzi). Every year, the summer camp uses the swimming pool and other facilities in the St. Joseph Sports Center and the Paul VI Hall is converted into a huge playground.
Giampaolo Mattei is amused by the Vatican's ability to transform itself. “The Giro d'Italia has passed, so you could say that there is now a cycling track in the gardens,” he jokes.
Behind the museums, a street called “viale dello sport” recalls a major sporting event in the early 20th century. In 1905, 1908, and 1913, Pope Pius X attended three events — running, jumping, and athletics — in which blind and amputee athletes participated. The Cortile del Belvedere was transformed into an athletics track for the occasion.
And what about Castel Gandolfo, the papal estate south of Rome, immersed in the greenery of the Castelli Romani? We know that John Paul II used to enjoy a swimming pool there. Today, we don’t know if it’s still in use, as Pope Francis turned the summer residence into a museum. And there are no specific sports facilities on site.
An opportunity to break out of the bubble
The lack of infrastructure does not prevent the small state from actively promoting sports. The word has even been included – for the first time – in the new constitution of the Roman Curia promulgated by Pope Francis in 2022.
The Dicastery for Culture and Education acts as the Ministry of Sports, and Athletica Vaticana, with its 500 members, is the equivalent of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Within this entity, various disciplines are recognized by world federations, such as athletics, cycling, taekwondo, padel, and cricket.
For Giampaolo Mattei, the lack of a sports center worthy of the name can also be an opportunity.
“We want to get out, not shut ourselves away between four walls,” says the Vatican’s sports organization’s president.
So joggers in yellow and white jerseys train in parks and on official tracks, forming partnerships with Roman organizations. Cricket players practice at Roma Capannelle or Villa Pamphili. It's an opportunity to forge bonds and foster brotherhood, a mission that is close to the hearts of Vatican athletes.
Admittedly for Pope Leo, getting out might be a little more difficult.
