Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.
The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player prior to the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
