Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."