🔗 Share this article Italian Tennis Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Has Died at Ninety-Two The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion remains among a select trio of Italian men to win a major singles title. The world of tennis is mourning a true icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. He carved his legacy by becoming the first Italian to secure a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at the French Open in 1959 and retaining the coveted trophy in 1960. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's most accomplished player prior to the advent of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is in mourning for an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian honored in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," announced the Italian Tennis Federation. In addition to his two French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a double winner, said: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."