Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92.
The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first 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 greatest ever player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
