🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."