Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.
The player made history by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the emergence of current world number two 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," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
