Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92.
The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.
He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
