đź”— Share this article Italian Tennis Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Passes Away at 92 The tennis champion is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden 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 is one of only three Italian men to claim a Grand Slam singles title. Italian sport says goodbye to a true pioneer: Nicola Pietrangeli, a double French Open champion, passed away at the age of 92. Pietrangeli etched his name by becoming the initial Italian to capture a Grand Slam singles title, securing his first triumph at Roland Garros in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy a year later. With a remarkable 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's greatest ever player until the rise of current star and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner. "The sport in Italy is mourning an legend. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died," stated the Italian Tennis Federation. Alongside his pair of French Open victories, Pietrangeli also reached the final in Paris in the years 1961 and 1964. He holds a record 164 matches played for Italy in the Davis Cup, winning 120 of them, and guided his country to its maiden 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..."