Jannik Sinner appears to have overcome his latest 'ban' after he was spotted meeting the new Pope at the Vatican. The three-time Grand Slam winner is currently playing at the Italian Open, his first tournament since returning from a doping suspension. He is through to the quarter-finals in Rome and will face Casper Ruud in the last eight.

After his win over Francisco Cerundolo in the previous round, Sinner took a break from his busy schedule for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. Dressed in a smart black suit, the young Italian spoke with the pontiff in a room attached to the Paul VI Hall. His family also got to meet the Pope while Alberto Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis Federation, was offered the same privilege.

Sinner was filmed shaking hands with the Pope, who asked him: "You won yesterday?" Sinner replied: "Yes, we managed." He also offered up one of his rackets, saying: "It's very similar [to the one he used against Cerundolo]. The colour is a little different."

The pair chatted for a while before the Pope, who is a keen tennis player in his spare time, asked: "Could I play at Wimbledon?" Sinner pulled out a tennis ball and offered it to the Pope, who replied: "Here? We'll break something! Better not to."

It came just days after the newly-elected pontiff jokingly banned Sinner from the Vatican because his name has connotations with somebody who committed a sin. One reporter referred to the Pope's hobby during an audience at the Vatican before suggesting that he could help organise a match for charity.

"Sure, that's fine," replied the Pope, before the journalist said: "I’ll bring [Andre] Agassi." The new Bishop of Rome then smiled before quipping back: "Just don't bring Sinner."

The ongoing Italian Open is being played on the outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico, which is less than two miles from the Vatican.

Sinner was quizzed on the Pope's love for tennis after beating Jesper De Jong in his second match in Rome earlier this week. He smiled and said: "Why do you have to make things difficult for me?

"Obviously, I heard that he played as a kid. I think it's a good thing for us tennis players to have a Pope who likes this sport that we're playing."

Asked about the possibility of hitting balls with the Pope at some point down the line, Sinner paused before responding: "For the future, we'll see. Who knows."