🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the first Italian to capture 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 finest player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the first Italian to capture 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 finest player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."