While not a practicing Catholic, Coco Gauff recognizes the significance of an upcoming event just a few kilometers away in Vatican City.
Gauff expressed her interest on Tuesday at the Internazionali d’Italia, stating, “I would go because I feel like it`s a historic thing.”
The Conclave, which will select the successor to Pope Francis – the fourth this century – is set to begin on Wednesday. One hundred thirty-three cardinals have convened and will cast paper ballots up to four times daily until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority, requiring at least 90 votes.
The election of a new Pope is famously signaled by white smoke (fumata bianca) rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney. Following this, the Vatican proclaims, “Habemus Papam” — “We have a Pope.”
“We talked about it,” Gauff shared. “I learned a lot because I don`t know anything about the Catholic religion. I thought the whole smoke thing was cool. I would like to go and see it and be around it since we`re here.”
Italian Catholics, in particular, are watching the proceedings closely. According to betting odds, the leading candidates are Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Italy), Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines), and Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana). Parolin, the current Vatican Secretary of State, is noted as a seasoned diplomat with a pragmatic approach favored by centrists.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek also shared her excitement about potentially witnessing the white smoke event.
“I would love to do that, just to have the experience,” Swiatek commented. “I think it`s going to be super crowded. I think the whole Rome is going to be following.”
She added, “But I`ll see logistically how it`s going to look like. Also, we don`t know when it`s going to happen, right? Might be a couple of months. So we`ll see.”
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth