Azzurri Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.
The player made history by becoming the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation.
In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
