🔗 Share this article Azzurri Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, 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, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to claim a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player until the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, 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, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."