🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92 The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "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 win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the emergence of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."