Italy's Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92.
The player made history by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation.
Alongside his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."