Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
