🔗 Share this article Italian Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at the Age of 92 The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true legend: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92. The player made history by becoming the pioneering Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is in mourning for an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian inducted in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his two French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He boasts a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a two-time winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."