Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
