🔗 Share this article Italy's Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation. In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the national federation. In addition to his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."