Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
