🔗 Share this article Italian Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at 92 The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player until the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his two 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, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player until the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the national federation. In addition to his two 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, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, commented: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."