🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."