🔗 Share this article Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He boasts a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."