🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."