🔗 Share this article Azzurri Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. Alongside his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a record 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, where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. Alongside his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a record 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, where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."