Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92

Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92.

The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later.

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

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

Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964.

He holds a record 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, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."