Pope Leo XIV’s love of tennis continues to offer Catholics a glimpse into the Augustinian spirituality that shapes his Pontificate, highlighting the connection between physical discipline, personal growth, and interior life.
Since his election in 2025, the Holy Father’s appreciation for the sport has attracted attention around the world.
Following a well-publicized audience with tennis star Jannik Sinner, Pope Leo’s enjoyment of the game became widely known. Yet those close to him say tennis is more than a pastime — it reflects values deeply rooted in the spiritual tradition of St. Augustine.
>> Tennis champion Jannik Sinner visits Pope Leo at Vatican <<
Father Rob Hagan, O.S.A., prior of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova and chaplain to Villanova University athletics, told AP News the Pope’s commitment to regular physical activity flows naturally from the Augustinian emphasis on cultivating good habits.
“He’s trying to keep some regularity to his routine that comes from the Rule,” Hagan said, referring to the Rule of St. Augustine, which has guided Augustinian religious life for centuries.
The Pope’s devotion to his spiritual father has been evident throughout his pontificate. During his April visit to Algeria, Leo made a pilgrimage to sites closely associated with Saint Augustine, visiting the places where the great bishop, theologian, and Doctor of the Church lived, taught, and penned works that continue to shape Christian thought and theology to this day.
According to Hagan, one of the most important lessons Pope Leo draws from Augustine is the need to cultivate a rich interior life amid the modern world’s distractions.
“He highlights a very underappreciated Augustinian value — especially in this noisy world — and that is to develop your interior life,” Hagan said.
The Holy Father reportedly spends part of his time at Castel Gandolfo engaging in outdoor recreation, including tennis, swimming, and horseback riding. Before becoming Pope, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost described himself as “quite the amateur tennis player” and expressed hope that his Vatican responsibilities would still allow opportunities to return to the court.
Earlier this week, Pope Leo underscored the spiritual and social value of athletics in a video message promoting sport as a means of fostering peace, dialogue, and personal growth.
“In life, as in the game, no one is saved alone,” the Pope said. “We need others to grow, to learn respect, to overcome our limits, and to celebrate together the victories we achieve.”
He added that sport should remain “a school of fraternity” and “a space of encounter, not exclusion.”
The Augustinian tradition has long emphasized the harmonious development of the whole person — mind, body, and soul.
“People are discovering who St. Augustine is. People are discovering who the Augustinians are,” Hagan said.
Quoting the saint whose spirituality has shaped his life, Hagan recalled Augustine’s enduring challenge to Christians seeking holiness: “Do not be content with what you are if you want to become what you are not yet.”