Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92.
The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player prior to the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
