🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92 The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an icon. 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 victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided 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 bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an icon. 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 victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided 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 bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."