Italy's Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation.
Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."