Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92.
The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation.
In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
