Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport mourns a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92.
He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted 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 finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden 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..."