🔗 Share this article Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. The player made history by emerging as the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. Beyond his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."