Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open successes, 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 led his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
