🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."