Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's greatest ever player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation.
Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, 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: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
