Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.
He carved his legacy by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, 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..."
