🔗 Share this article Italy's Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded 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 say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his two French Open successes, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded 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 say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."