🔗 Share this article Italy's Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers 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..."
The tennis champion is among a select trio of Italian men to secure a major singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, has died at ninety-two. He carved his legacy by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the coveted trophy the following year. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's finest player prior to the rise of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," confirmed the national federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, winning 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its first title in 1976. Organisers 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..."