🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, 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 guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy a year later. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's finest player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, 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 guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."