Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
