Rafael Nadal has led tributes from around the tennis world after Italian great Lea Pericoli died aged 89 in Milan. The former national No.1 was a regular at the French Open and Wimbledon in the 1960s, and her popularity soared even though she never became a grand slam champion.
Pericoli was noted for her outfits, with the Italian tennis federation describing her as “a queen on the court and a master of elegance”. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today She became a trailblazing commentator and journalist after retiring from the sport. “She was one of the first women to talk about tennis in newspapers and on TV after having played it at the highest levels,” the Italian federation said.
Pericoli won several titles on the international tour and was a constant threat at her home Italian Open, even reaching the doubles final five times. She was Italy’s No.1 for 14 years between 1959 and 1976 and ranked second in the four years she was not at the top.
Pericoli overcame uterine cancer in 1973 to return to grand slam tennis in 1974 and 1975, and she also beat breast cancer in 2012. Her standing in tennis is reflected in the tributes from around the globe with fellow 1960s star Billie Jean King joined by reflections from the likes of modern-day stars Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner. Nadal wrote his tribute in Italian.
“Goodbye Lea. Thanks for everything. You will always be remembered by all of us,” he said.
King said “it was an honour” to have shared years on.