Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his pair of 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 prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
