Or maybe Jannik Sinner just likes playing against Casper Ruud. Whatever it was, the top-ranked Sinner cranked up his level to near perfection at times in a 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of Ruud in the Italian Open quarterfinals — after Sinner was granted an audience with the new tennis-playing pope just down the road at the Vatican.

One day after meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Sinner delivered a perfect 6-0 set at the Italian Open in Rome against Casper Ruud. He went on to win 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the tournament's semifinals. Pope Leo, previously known as Robert Prevost, met Sinner briefly on Wednesday and the World No. 1 gave him some tennis tips.