🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis mourns a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."