🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers 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..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers 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..."