Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
