Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92

Italian sport is mourning a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at ninety-two.

Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year.

With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.

"The sport in Italy is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.

Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.

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

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