Azzurri Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.
The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year.
With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.
Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
