🔗 Share this article Azzurri Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."