Italy's Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
The player made history by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player until the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
