Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation.
Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
