Italian tennis great Nicola Pietrangeli dies aged 92
Two-time French Open singles champion Nicola Pietrangeli dies
- Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli has died at the age of 92, following a period of declining health after a hip fracture in December 2024.
- Pietrangeli was a two-time French Open singles champion (1959, 1960), also securing a doubles title in 1959 and a mixed doubles title in 1958, accumulating 48 career titles.
- He holds an unmatched Davis Cup record, playing 164 matches and winning 120, and later captained Italy to their 1976 Davis Cup victory.
- Known for his elegant play and charismatic persona, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986 and had Rome's second-largest tennis stadium named in his honour.
- Pietrangeli was a cultural phenomenon in Italy, credited with transforming tennis into a national obsession, and famously prioritised enjoyment over rigorous training.