Italian Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led 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 veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
