Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, 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..."
