Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner mourn the death of Italian tennis legend Lea Pericoli

Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner penned hearfelt notes in remembrance of Lea Pericoli. The legendary Italian player passed away on Friday, October 4, at the age of 89.

Pericoli reached the Round of 16 at the French Open twice (1960, 1964) and the Wimbledon Championships three times (1965, 1967, 1970). Nicknamed 'La Divina' by fans, she gained popularity for her on-court fashion. Her outfits included bold trim choices consisting of lace, fur and ruffles and caught attention particularly at Wimbledon, where a strict all-white dress code is followed.

Pericoli hung up her racquet in 1976 and turned journalist and TV presenter. She was honored with Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2007.

Rafael Nadal took to Instagram to share an old picture of Pericoli wearing a ruffled skirt on-court holding a wooden racquet that players used at the time. The 22-time Grand Slam champion used an Italian-flag emoji and a Spanish-flag emoji joined by a heart emoji, writing:

"Hi Lea. Thanks for everything. You will always be remembered by all of us." [translated from Spanish].

Screengrab from Rafael Nadal's Instagram @rafaelnadal

Jannik Sinner took to X to post a picture of the compatriots sharing a special moment together. The picture was accompanied by an emotional tribute to Pericoli by the World No. 1.

"A special moment I'll remember forever. A great woman and a legend of Italian tennis," Sinner wrote on X.

Pericoli had been all praise for Sinner after Italy's Davis Cup triumph in 2023 and Sinner's maiden Grand Slam title win at the 2024 Australian Open.

Lea Pericoli had lauded Jannik Sinner as a "champion from every point of view"

Jannik Sinner at the 2024 China Open (Image: Getty)

In an interview with Italian publication Quotidiano Sportivo in February this year, Lea Pericoli had lauded Jannik Sinner for his exceptional talent. She also expressed her delight at the 23-year-old's success on the tour.

"Maybe I didn't believe that Jannik would triumph immediately in Melbourne but the path was certainly mapped out for him. We can only be happy for this success," she said [translated from Italian].

She also mentioned Sinner's contribution to the Italian team at the 2023 Davis Cup. This is the second time that Italy has lifted the trophy since their maiden Davis Cup victory in 1976.

"A good player can be built, but here it seems to me that we are faced with something different, a champion from every point of view, we can also count on [such] excellent athletes who made the feat possible in Davis [Cup]." she added.

Sinner is currently competing at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where he will clash with Taro Daniel in the Round of 64.