Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to win a major singles title.
Italian sport is mourning a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92.
He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960.
With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's most accomplished player until the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation.
In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, 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 Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976.
Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
