Italian Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation.
Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
