Italy's Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation.
Beyond his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
