Italian tennis great Nicola Pietrangeli has died at the age of 92, sources said on Monday. His death closes a major chapter in the history of the sport in Italy.
Pietrangeli was the first Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title. He claimed the French Open in 1959 and 1960, and finished runner-up in Paris in 1961 and 1964. He led Italy to the Davis Cup finals in 1960 and 1961 and later captained the team that won the trophy for the first time in 1976.
Pietrangeli was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986, a distinction shared among Italians only with Gianni Clerici.
Tributes arrived from across sport and politics. Premier Giorgia Meloni called him “a symbol of Italian tennis”. Adriano Panatta said he had “lost a friend” and Paolo Bertolucci described him as “our first tennis hero”. Italian Tennis Federation president Angelo Binaghi said Pietrangeli “taught us what winning means”. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi called him “a revolutionary who wrote tennis history”. Rafael Nadal said he was “a world tennis great”. French daily L’Équipe wrote that he made tennis popular in Italy when it was still seen as an elite sport.
Pietrangeli remained a prominent voice in Italian tennis. He followed the rise of Jannik Sinner closely. He often commented on the new generation, including Sinner’s decision to skip Italy’s recent Davis Cup campaign after helping secure the titles in 2023 and 2024.
The career of Pietrangeli
Born in Tunis in 1933 to an Italian father and a Russian mother, Pietrangeli moved to Rome in his early teens. He became known for his elegance on clay, his single-handed backhand and his athletic style. Before the Open Era, he was listed among the world’s top three players for three years from 1959 to 1961.
He won two Italian Open titles and played 164 Davis Cup matches, a world record that includes 78 singles wins and 42 doubles wins. With Orlando Sirola he formed one of Italy’s best-known doubles partnerships. He also reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1960 and the Australian Open quarterfinals in 1957. He was Italian champion every year from 1955 to 1960.
His life off court was widely followed. He married Susanna Artero, the mother of his three children. Later he had a long relationship with TV presenter Licia Colò, who said on Monday that he “always remained young in spirit”.
Pietrangeli suffered the loss of his son Giorgio earlier this year while he was undergoing tests at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. He later said, “You should never outlive your children.”
He often joked about his wish to have his ashes scattered on the red clay of the Foro Italico, where the centre court bears his name. His final farewell will take place there. The chapel of rest will open on Wednesday, 3 December, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. at the Church of Santa Maria della Gran Madre di Dio near Ponte Milvio.
