Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
