The world held its breath on April 21, 2025, as the news spread: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff on the history of the Roman Catholic Church, had passed away within the ancient walls of the Vatican. At 88, his death followed a recent battle with double pneumonia, a five-week struggle fought within the confines of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. In a poignant twist of fate, just the day before, he had offered a final, public blessing to throngs of Easter worshippers in St. Peter’s Square, his frail figure moving amongst them in the open-top Popemobile, his words carried by an aide. Now, a global wave of grief washes over the world, a silent echo of the countless lives he touched. Even figures beyond the Church’s realm, like former tennis star Chris Evert, found themselves moved to offer their condolences.

Dubbed “the Pope of the peripheries,” Pope’s focus on social justice, environmental action, and making the Church more inclusive truly shook things up at the Vatican. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the loss of “a great man, a great shepherd” and expressed deep sorrow. “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering,” she said. “We say goodbye to the holy father with a heart full of sadness.”

Evert, who felt deep a connection to the Pope’s message and leadership because of her “growing up in a very strict, Catholic, God-fearing environment”, penned a moving message on social media: “Rip Pope Francis; Thank you for opening your arms to all of us. Thank you for addressing issues that were never before discussed in the Catholic Church. Thank you for your compassion and hope for a better future.🙏”

Despite her traditional upbringing, Chris Evert wasn’t alone in finding inspiration in Pope Francis’s groundbreaking leadership. Although not a religious person, Rafael Nadal didn’t hesitate to offer his respects. “Today is a sad day. I would like to express my sincere condolences on the passing of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace,” Nadal wrote on X (translated from Spanish) on Monday.

Not to mention, Pope Francis was a huge sports fan. While everyone knows about his passion for soccer, he also had a soft spot for tennis. Just last year, he congratulated Italian star Jannik Sinner after his historic Australian Open win, making Sinner the first Italian man in nearly 50 years to claim a Grand Slam singles title.

During an audience with the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, the Pope reflected, “Tennis, while often perceived as a competition to outplay an opponent, can also be a form of dialogue and personal growth.” He added, “We cannot always win,” but the real growth, he said, is in the journey.

The impact of Pope Francis’s passing was felt far beyond the Vatican walls. Italy hit pause on all sports events scheduled for Easter Monday, including top-flight soccer matches, as a mark of respect. The Italian Olympic Committee also announced a minute of silence before all sporting events later in the week—a powerful gesture that showed just how much the Pope meant to the sporting world.

Evert’s gesture stands out as she has been quite vocal about her upbringing in her catholic household.

Chris speaks out about how she’s grown as a person after joining professional tennis

Chris Evert opened up in a 1990 interview with Bob Costas about how twelve years in Catholic school made her suppress her true self. “Going to Catholic school for 12 years, this sort of suppresses you a little bit,” she said. But once she joined the pro tennis tour, she finally felt free. “I told my parents at 19, please stay home—I want to do this on my own. That’s when I started to find my own personality and my own niche. And I tell a lot of dirty jokes. I can’t help it,” she shared with a smile.

When asked about the hardest part of being a legend, Evert spoke honestly about the pressure of fame as a teenager. “Very sensitive to criticism and judgment. Trying to navigate that from age 15 when I started to be successful worldwide. It’s not easy to be famous when you haven’t developed your personality or character yet,” she explained. It’s a challenge many young stars face, she noted.

Evert also reflected on how parenting in tennis has changed. Unlike today’s constant positive encouragement, her generation was told to “be a lady in public” and avoid mistakes. She mentioned Serena Williams’s father, Richard Williams, as an example of a parent who always boosted his kids’ confidence. “I remember always reading about Richard Williams and all of the tennis parents basically saying, always telling their kids how great they were, and you can be anything you want to be, and just totally having positive reinforcement all the time. But again, in our culture, it wasn’t that way,” she said softly, highlighting the difference.

Now, the tennis world continues to mourn the passing of Pope Francis. Which just goes to show that, even in loss, the pope’s message of compassion continues to inspire and bring people together around the world.