Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded 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 bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
