🔗 Share this article Italy's Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at the Age of 92 Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, left us at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, earning his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player until the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its first title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, stated: "It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."