Italian Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92

Italian sport says goodbye to a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two.

Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960.

With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.

"Italian tennis is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.

In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.

He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976.

Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."