🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92 The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."