Sinner is not only a legend, but is also pointed out by the Church as a role model for the young. Humble, tenacious, capable of gratitude towards his parents, loyal. Pope Francis noted one thing about him: 'What matters is not not falling, but 'not staying fallen''. A brief phrase he uttered this morning off the cuff in front of a delegation from the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, on the occasion of the sports club's 125th anniversary, which encapsulates the healthiest spirit of sport, which Bergoglio insists on every time he has the chance. The Osservatore Romano newspaper then reserved a beautiful cameo for the South Tyrolean champion. 'The twenty-two-year-old from South Tyrol did not stay down and with his comeback, which goes down in the history of a sport loved by millions of people around the world, he also offered a lesson that is good for many young (and not so young) people who practice sport'.
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The Vatican newspaper also reports the words spoken by the young tennis player, after the victory, thanking his parents for always letting him be free. And on this point it notes: 'In a time when the word freedom is also subject to dangerous misunderstandings, a signal of great value therefore comes from the world of sport, which can be treasured in every area of our life: freedom is only such if it is based on a full and authentic relationship between people. Only in this way can it really make us better, make us champions of humanity' highlights the Observer, which is joined by Avvenire, the bishops' newspaper. The young Jannik is a simple boy who is not afraid to work hard. 'And after that crazy comeback, after that last point, when the television gave us the image from above of an athlete lying on the field exhausted and happy, it was wonderful to think of a saying by Hesiod: On the road to virtue the gods have placed sweat'.
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Sport for the Pope - he has repeated it dozens of times during his pontificate - remains a formidable 'community generator' especially for young people because it creates sociability, gives birth to friendships, creates sharing, participation and a sense of belonging. It has a formative dimension that cannot be separated from the playful and 'amateur', even at the highest levels of professionalism. 'Sport can be a symbol of unity for a society, an experience of integration, an example of cohesion and a message of harmony and peace'.
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