🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92 The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."