In 1959, Nicola Pietrangeli made tennis history when he became the first Italian to win a Grand Slam title. Today, Italian tennis mourns his passing.
Nicola Pietrangeli has died. The two-time French Open winner passed away in Rome at the age of 92, the Italian Tennis Federation announced on Monday.
Pietrangeli was his country’s first Grand Slam champion and had already made Italian tennis internationally famous in the 1950s – long before players such as Jannik Sinner came to the fore. In 1959, he became the first Italian to win the French Open, followed by his second title in Paris in 1960. In the same year, he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. As team captain, Pietrangeli led Italy to Davis Cup victory in 1976. As a player, he was denied this success, even though he set several records in the competition. No player has played more Davis Cup matches (164), and his 78 singles victories are also unmatched.
Even after his active career, Pietrangeli remained an influential voice in Italian tennis. In October, he criticized Jannik Sinner’s decision to withdraw from the Davis Cup, calling it a “heavy blow” for Italian sport. Pietrangeli lost his son Giorgio in the summer. The former top surfer died at the age of 59.