🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Great Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at the Age of 92 The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up 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 maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport is mourning a genuine icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, passed away at 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the nation's most accomplished player until the advent of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up 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 maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."