š Share this article Azzurri Court Icon Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92 Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."
Nicola Pietrangeli remains among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title. The world of tennis mourns a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, has died at 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by emerging as the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, achieving his maiden triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy in 1960. With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was widely considered the country's finest player until the emergence of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "Italian tennis is grieving an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian honored in the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also finished as runner-up in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He set a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976. Organisers of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, stated: "We are profoundly saddened that we bid farewell to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis..."