Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at 92.
The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation.
In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist 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 spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
