Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two

Italian sport says goodbye to a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92.

Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later.

With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner.

"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation.

Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.

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

Organisers of the Italian Open, an event 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..."