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Pope Francis has joined the chorus of congratulations for Jannik Sinner, the first Italian to win a tennis Grand Slam trophy in 48 years.

It is not common for a Pope to praise a Sinner, but even rarer for an Italian to win a tennis grand slam.

So Pope Francis was moved to add his Holy voice to the chorus of congratulations for Jannik Sinner, the first Italian to win one of the main tennis titles in 48 years.

Francis complimented Sinner while giving an audience to members of a tennis club from Barcelona, a Vatican statement said.

"We have to congratulate the Italians because they won in Australia yesterday," the 87-year-old pope, whose best known sporting passion is soccer, said in unscripted remarks on Monday.

Sinner, 22, beat Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday, overcoming a two-set disadvantage to win 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3.

Pope Francis is himself Argentine (last grand slam won in 2009 by Juan Martin del Potro, the US Open), but is also the Bishop of Rome with the Holy See's Vatican City base an enclave within Italian territory.

with Reuters