Azzurri Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent 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 International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
