Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player until the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials 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..."
