🔗 Share this article Italy's Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation. Beyond his two French Open triumphs, 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 spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation. Beyond his two French Open triumphs, 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 spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."