Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92.
The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's most accomplished player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 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.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
