Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli passed away at the age of 92.
The Italian Tennis Federation on Monday morning, December 1, announced that the two-time French Open champion left the tennis world mourning, months after his son Giorgio's death in July at the age of 59.
The Italian Tennis Federation wrote on social media, “Italian tennis mourns its icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 92.”
Pietrangeli, who also won the French Open doubles title in 1959 and the mixed doubles title in 1958 and accumulated an impressive 48 titles throughout his career, died after suffering from a period of declining health since breaking his hip in December 2024.
Federation president Angelo Binaghi, paying tribute to the tennis legend, said, “Today, Italian tennis loses its greatest symbol, and I lose a friend. Nicola Pietrangeli wasn't just a champion; he was the first to teach us what it meant to truly win, on and off the court.”
“He was the starting point for everything our tennis has become. With him, we understood that we too could compete with the world, that dreaming big was no longer a gamble. When you mention Nicola, you immediately think of the records, the Davis Cups, the titles, and the triumphs that will forever remain in our history. But the truth is that Nicola was much more,” he told Sky Sports Italy.
Pietrangeli holds an unmatched record for most Davis Cup matches played (164) and wins (120). He even led Italy to win the Davis Cup in 1976 as captain. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986.
