Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92

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

Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later.

With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player until the emergence of current world number two and four-time 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," announced the Italian Tennis Federation.

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

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

Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."