🔗 Share this article Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by becoming 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 staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden 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 veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a genuine legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. The player made history by becoming 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 staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its maiden 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 veritable legend of Italian tennis..."