Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing 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 greatest ever player prior to the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 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: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
