Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92

Italian sport mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.

The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year.

With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.

"The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation.

Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.

He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976.

Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."