Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 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, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
