🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."