With the Italian Open kicking off this week nearby, some of tennis’s biggest stars might find themselves drawn to an event of a very different kind — the papal conclave at the Vatican.
U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff and Polish star Iga Swiatek both expressed interest in visiting St. Peter’s Square to witness the historic proceedings if they get the opportunity. The conclave, starting Wednesday, will see cardinals elect a new pope, with signals from the Sistine Chapel chimney indicating progress — black smoke meaning no decision, white smoke confirming a new pope has been chosen.
Gauff, who isn’t Catholic, said she found the ritual fascinating and educational. “We talked about it. I learned a lot because I don’t know anything about the Catholic religion. With the whole smoke thing, I thought that was cool. I would like to go and see it and be around it since we’re here,” she said Tuesday.
Swiatek, a three-time Rome champion and native of Poland, shared a similar curiosity. “I would love to [go] just to have the experience. But I’ll see logistically how it’s going to look like,” she said, pointing out the unpredictability of the conclave’s duration.
The Italian Open runs through May 18, overlapping with the conclave’s start.
Gauff also opened up about her personal faith, describing it as central to her life. A devout Christian, she often references her beliefs in public remarks, including after her recent loss in the Madrid Open final to Aryna Sabalenka. “It’s super important for me,” she explained. “I’m not out here trying to force anybody to believe in anything.”
She emphasized the importance of freedom of expression, whether it relates to religion, identity, or personal beliefs. “Where you start criticizing people for saying anything, whether it’s religion, or pride in their sexuality or anything like that, that’s a bit of censorship,” she said. “I think we all should be able to do what we want to do as long as it’s not harming other people.”
For Gauff, sharing her faith is not about preaching but about offering hope. “It helps me,” she said. “It could also help someone else in their life.”
