🔗 Share this article Azzurri Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at Ninety-Two The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's most accomplished player until the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to win a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis says goodbye to a authentic pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at the age of 92. He carved his legacy by emerging as the pioneering Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, securing his initial triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was universally regarded as the country's most accomplished player until the rise of current world number two and four-time major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation. In addition to his pair of French Open successes, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in both 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and spearheaded his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Officials of the Italian Open, an event where he was a two-time winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."