Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92

Italian sport is mourning a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92.

Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning 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 widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise 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 passed away," stated the national federation.

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

He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976.

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