🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92 The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation. Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy the following year. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the national federation. Beyond his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."