Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to secure a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."