Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to secure a major singles title.
Italian sport says goodbye to a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
