Italy's Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
