Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title.
Italian sport says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.
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 remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player until the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, 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..."
