Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.
The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation.
Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, 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, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
