🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist 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. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's finest player until the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the national federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist 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. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."