Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's greatest ever player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation.
In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
