Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
