🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation. Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation. Beyond his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."