๐ Share this article Azzurri Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is one of only three Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport mourns a genuine pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at 92. The player made history by becoming the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With an impressive 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's greatest ever player prior to the rise of current star and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Beyond his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and led his country to its maiden title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, said: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."