Italian tennis legend, Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has passed away at 92.
Pietrangeli etched his name in history in 1959 when he became the first Italian to claim a Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, a feat he repeated the following year.
Amassing 48 career titles, he was long regarded as Italy’s greatest tennis talent until the rise of current world number two and four-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner.
“Italian tennis is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted into the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died,” the Italian Tennis Federation announced on Monday.
Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli reached the final in Paris in 1961 and 1964. He also left an indelible mark on the Davis Cup, playing a record 164 matches for Italy, winning 120, and guiding the team to its maiden title in 1976.
The Italian Open, where he lifted the trophy twice, paid tribute in a heartfelt message, “It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis… Ciao, Nicola.”
