Lea Pericoli, an Italian tennis star from the 1950s and 1960s, has died at the age of 89.
She is considered one of her country’s best players, reaching the round of 16 of the French Open twice and the Wimbledon Championships three times.
In addition to her athletic prowess, Pericoli’s pageant costumes, decorated with feathers and fur, made her a style icon.
Born in Milan on March 22, 1935, she later became a popular television presenter and journalist.
“She was like a mother to all of us,” Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, told local media.
