Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic exemplifying Christianity

Ah, the US Open of the tennis variety is unfolding again at the iconic Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City until September 13.

The breathtaking athleticism and the force of personality exhibited by the male and female players are on par with the spectacle produced during the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. The storytelling often exceeds that of the other Grand Slam events in this final major tournament because of the cumulative power of what has come before, and it represents the last grand stage for elite and emerging players to determine the narrative of their season.

While the game still misses the graceful, balletic artistry of Roger Federer, this next generation’s ball-striking power from the baseline, coupled with the laser-precise accuracy of their shot placement, is a sight to behold.

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For Christians, one of the best sights is the spirituality incorporated in post-match celebrations. Many top stars of the day, including Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka and defending men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz, have made the sign of the cross or pointed upward toward Heaven in a graceful salutation to God.

It is also well known that Alcaraz, who, at 22, became the youngest male player in history to win the Career Grand Slam (winning each major at least once) in January, receives a blessing from Catholic priests before major tournament appearances. The Spaniard credits his faith for keeping him grounded as he achieves great heights.

World Number One Jannik Sinner of Italy, unfortunately injured, is a phenom who, like his friendly rival Alcaraz, lives his faith openly and is grateful for his Catholic upbringing.

The 25-year-old even experienced an audience with Pope Leo XIV, an avid tennis fan, at the Vatican on May 14, 2025, just six days after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel.

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But the player who has arguably exemplified gratitude to God on court more strikingly than any player in history is Novak Djokovic, the greatest of all time when facts take primacy over feelings. The Serbian has proclaimed on multiple occasions that his “most important title in life is not ‘Grand Slam Champion’; it is Orthodox Christian.”

Djokovic, 39, makes the Eastern Orthodox sign of the cross and wears a wooden cross around his neck. Never more has he so profusely expressed his faith as when he dropped to his knees, made the sign of the cross, double-tapped his heart and then gestured kisses toward the sky following an utterly dramatic and improbable win over Sinner after their 2026 Australian Open semifinal clash.

“I am a man of faith, and I really, truly believe in God and the higher spiritual force that intervenes in the most difficult moments if you open your heart, if you pray, and if you believe in it,” Djokovic said on a September 2025 podcast.

Not everyone in tennis exudes wholesome Christian values. Many don’t give credit to God for the talents, opportunities and privileges He has bestowed upon them. The aforementioned God-fearing players, too, have engaged in questionable acts on court – after all, they’re human. Tennis, on the whole, is tops in the quality and quantity of faith-driven role models for young people to emulate.

They honour God in demonstrative post-match salutes. More importantly, they venerate Him by their behaviour. The best of the best are humble in victory, gracious in defeat, congratulatory and supportive of their opponents and not too big to recognize the contributions of ball kids, umpires and venue staff.

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Another great aspect of tennis? There’s no choice but to take personal responsibility for your performance. Success depends on the quality of personal effort. Too often we see players in team sports as passengers on the bench. They leave the heavy lifting required to win up to their teammates. Because of ridiculous “load management” in basketball, the very best players, though healthy and uninjured, sit out an average of 24 games a year, rather than 10.6 during Michael Jordan’s ’90s heyday.

Tennis, by communicating that message about showing up in gratitude and doing your best, provides a great service to us as we Christians are called to wake up in thankfulness to God for another day and then do the best we can with the opportunity.

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)

A version of this article appeared in the September 13, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Top tennis open to Christian love-love"