Legendary Italian Tennis Player Nicola Pietrangeli Dies At Age 92, Rafael Nadal Honours His Legacy

Nicola Pietrangeli, the Italian tennis player and one of the best to grace the game, has passed away. He was 92 at the time of his death. Pietrangeli is looked back on as one of the biggest Davis Cup match-winning players and boasts a 78-32 singles record. He also has a solid 42-12 doubles record.

Before Jannik Sinner's dominance in modern times, Nicola Pietrangeli reigned supreme in the 1950s and 1960s and carried immense records. While Sinner recently broke those records, Nicola built a legacy that has attained immortality.

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As one of the greatest Italian tennis players before Jannik Sinner, Nicola Pietrangeli was a titan of the past. He was the first-ever Italian player to win a Grand Slam title at the French Open in 1959. He also clinched the doubles title alongside Orlando Sirola in Paris in the same year.

Pietrangeli is also the only Italian player to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation has confirmed the passing of Nicola Pietrangelion on Monday. But they did not provide a cause of death.

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Nicola Pietrangeli was the sole Italian to win two Grand Slam singles titles, which was eventually broken by Jannik Sinner after he won the Australian Open title in 2025 to take the count to three. Sinner currently has four majors and still has a long way to go.

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Rafael Nadal, the former Spanish tennis player, has paid tribute to Nicola Pietrangeli upon his death. At the Rome Open, Pietrangeli was the one who presented the Italian Open trophy to Rafa. The King of Clay has won the tournament a record ten times.

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"I have just learned of the sad news of the departure of a great of Italian and world tennis. My deepest condolences to his entire family, his son Filippo, and the entire Italian tennis family. RIP Nicola," Rafael Nadal tweeted on 'X' (Formerly Twitter).

Nicola Pietrangeli was born to an Italian dad and a Russian mom in Tunis. He was an influential figure in Italian tennis. The legendary tennis player also had a stadium named after him. The Pallacorda court at the Foro Italico was renamed Stadio Pietrangeli in 2006.