Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."