Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two.
The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player prior to the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
