🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, 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 spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's finest player until the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, 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 spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."