Overview
- Pope Leo spends set days each week at Castel Gandolfo playing tennis, swimming and riding as part of a disciplined routine tied to the Rule of St. Augustine.
- The Vatican has circulated a recent video in which the pope frames sport as a tool for peace and personal growth and says, “In life, as in the game, no one is saved alone.”
- Supporters and aides say his tennis and gym work help maintain the lung capacity, stamina and mental focus needed for long liturgies, constant audiences and frequent international travel.
- In April the pope linked this routine to his Augustinian identity by making a pilgrimage to archaeological sites in Algeria associated with St. Augustine.
- His fitness habits continue a pattern from his time as Cardinal Robert Prevost, when he trained regularly at the Vatican‑area Omega gym and described himself as an amateur tennis player.