Italian Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time 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," stated the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
