Azzurri Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. 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 reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
