Italy's Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers 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 true legend of Italian tennis..."
