Azzurri Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, 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 two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
