Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his two 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 led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
