🔗 Share this article Italian Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. The player made history by emerging as the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player prior to the advent of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."