🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli stands as one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at the age of 92. The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."