Dec 1 (Reuters) – During a break in the French Open final, in 1960, Nicola Pietrangeli took his shoes off in the locker room. His socks were red with blood.
In the first three sets, Chile’s Luis Ayala had been tormenting Pietrangeli with drop shots and lobs, forcing the Italian tennis player to sprint forward and back until the skin peeled off his feet.
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He played the rest of the gruelling match on raw flesh. Still, he danced across the court with the elegance of a matador — and claimed his second Roland Garros crown.
His prize money: $150, he later recalled.
Before the sport began to turn professional in 1968, and long before the vast financial rewards of modern tennis, Pietrangeli was a master on clay — and Italy’s greatest player.