Azzurri Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.
The player made history by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
