Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player until the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 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.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
