Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
