Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent 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 only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, 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..."
