The desperate cry of Pietrangeli: "I wish for a day without pain"

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Nicola Pietrangeli, who until not too long ago was known for being the best tennis player in the history of Italy, is about to turn 92 and has given an interview where he talks about the ravages of age. That cursed age.

The Italian legend has had a terrible year. He recently lost his son Giorgo while he himself was in the hospital. Pietrangeli gives an interview to Supertennis where he holds nothing back. Those who have lived long enough do not need to sweeten what comes out of their mouths and he speaks about the fragility of life when facing the final stretch without hope in everyday living beyond pain.

"This is life: painful and boring," Nicola begins to say, a few days before turning 92. "My mind slips a bit. I can remember well the things I did 50 years ago, but not what I did the day before yesterday. It gives me the feeling that any day, it won't work anymore," he adds.

Pietrangeli, born in September 1933, was a two-time winner at Roland Garros. Now, he lies in bed day and night due to pain in the sacral area, in the lower part of his spine. "They must be punishing me because I did something wrong in my life. The days are long. Very long. Thank goodness I sleep; that helps me."

If he has to ask for something, what he says should be etched in the mind of every young person who reads these words. "I would like a day without pain. This pain I suffer prevents me from moving. They have tried everything. My friends call me to play cards, but I need to rest. Even though I spend all day in bed, I don't have a day of rest due to this pain. As my son used to say, 'I beat cancer, but not aging.'" It's hair-raising.

"I'm tired. Tired of being tired. I don't know what will become of me in two weeks. It won't change anything. I'm like a worm. I watch TV, I watch Netflix, and even though I just hold the remote, I am a burden."

Lost his son a week ago

Giorgio, a pioneer in Italy for surfing at a time when hardly anyone dared, passed away in early July due to cancer. "Some may fall to the ground and despair. Not me. I see him as if he were here. I remember him suffering. He was sick. He didn't get out of bed. He suffered a lot," he comments.

Pietrangeli's cry of desperation, at almost 92 years old, speaks of the greatest enemy we humans face: old age. Being rich is not having a lot of money, but being young and healthy. Only when we walk the path that Nicola now treads will we realize the fortune we had to do what we wanted. Surely he would trade all the money he has right now to be 20 again.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El grito de desesperación de Pietrangeli: "Quisiera un día sin dolor"