Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
