FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 21, 2023 Former tennis player Nicola Pietrangeli is pictured entering the court ahead of the men's singles final REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo
Dec 1 (Reuters) - Nicola Pietrangeli, the first Italian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title, has died at the age of 92. Below are some tributes and reactions.
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI
"Today we lose a figure who made sporting history with extraordinary talent and passion. Nicola Pietrangeli was a symbol of Italian tennis — the first Italian to win a Grand Slam, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a champion who inspired generations and elevated Italy’s name around the world."
ITALIAN TENNIS FEDERATION CHIEF ANGELO BINAGHI
"Nicola Pietrangeli was not just a champion: he was the first to teach us what it truly means to win, both on and off the court. He was the starting point for everything our tennis has become. With him, we understood that we too could compete with the world, that dreaming big was no longer a gamble.”
RAFAEL NADAL, 22-TIMES GRAND SLAM CHAMPION
"I just learned the sad news of the passing of a great Italian and world tennis player. My deepest condolences to his entire family, his son Filippo, and the entire Italian tennis community."
FRENCH OPEN GRAND SLAM
"A four-time Roland-Garros champion and an iconic figure in Italian tennis, he leaves an extraordinary legacy. He will be greatly missed by the tennis world."
ITALIAN OPEN
"His legacy will forever live on in the history of our sport, in the memory of our tournament, and in the stadium that proudly bears his name".
ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANTONIO TAJANI
"Italy mourns the passing of Nicola Pietrangeli. Icon of Italian tennis, one of the greatest national athletes of the last century. The first Italian to win the Grand Slam. Sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.Restinpeace."
CAPTAIN OF THE ITALIAN DAVIS CUP TEAM, FILIPPO VOLANDRI
"Today our tennis loses a giant. Nicola Pietrangeli was the first idol and the first true point of reference for anyone who has loved this sport. For those of us who wear or have worn the blue jersey, he was never just a great champion of the past".
(Compiled by Andrea Mandalà, Additional reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
