🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed 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, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed 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, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."