Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player prior to the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
