Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
The player made history by emerging as 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 the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
