Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's greatest ever player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation.
Alongside his pair of 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 prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event 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..."
