ROME — Nicola Pietrangeli, the Italian tennis champion of the Fifties and Sixties whose data have been solely not too long ago damaged by Jannik Sinner – however stays the winningest Davis Cup participant of all time – has died. He was 92.
The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation introduced Pietrangeli’s passing on Monday, with out offering a explanation for demise. The federation famous that Pietrangeli is the one Italian participant who was inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame.
Pietrangeli was the primary Italian participant to win a Grand Slam trophy, triumphing on the French Open in 1959. He defended that title a 12 months later and his report of two Grand Slam singles titles amongst Italian gamers wasn’t damaged till Sinner gained his second straight Australian Open title in 2025 to extend his complete to 3.
Sinner has now gained 4 majors.
“I gained $150 for the 1960 title, which lined two months lease for my dwelling in Rome,” Pietrangeli advised the Gazzetta dello Sport in 2020.
Pietrangeli was additionally runner-up at Roland Garros in 1961 and 1964, shedding each finals to Spanish participant Manuel Santana. He gained the doubles title in Paris in 1959 with Orlando Sirola.
“In 1964 Santana and I made a wager whereby the loser would pay for dinner,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “I honored the settlement and 10 of us went out that evening, together with our wives, and Manolo invited (Spanish soccer participant) Luisito Suárez,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “I spent my whole earnings from the match to cowl the night.”
Pietrangeli additionally reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1960 and the quarterfinals on the Australian Open in 1957.
Davis Cup data In Davis Cup, Pietrangeli holds the report for many complete wins and most singles wins, having performed 164 matches for Italy in 66 ties. His singles report was 78-32 and his doubles report was 42-12. He additionally fashioned half of probably the most profitable Davis Cup doubles partnership with Sirola, the pair successful 34 of their 42 matches collectively.
As a participant, Pietrangeli led Italy to the Davis Cup last twice, shedding each instances away to an Australia crew that includes Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
Pietrangeli lastly raised the Davis Cup trophy as captain in 1976, when he coached Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, Paolo Bertolucci and Antonio Zugarelli to the title with a win over Chile performed amid the navy dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
There have been requires Italy to not journey to Chile however Pietrangeli pushed for the Azzurri to go.
“That was actually my largest contribution for that last,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “With out me, Italy would haven’t traveled to that last and we would not have gained.”
Italy did not win the Davis Cup once more till Sinner led the Azzurri to the title in 2023 and 2024; after which Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli led Italy to a 3rd straight Davis Cup – and first on dwelling soil – in Bologna final month.
Stadio Pietrangeli After his taking part in and training profession was completed, Pietrangeli grew to become a kind of “godfather” for Italian tennis. He was a fixture within the entrance row on the Foro Italico for the Italian Open, a match he gained in 1957 and 1961 – beating Laver within the latter last.
In 2006, the statue-lined Pallacorda court docket on the Foro Italico – thought-about some of the picturesque stadiums on the circuit – was renamed Stadio Pietrangeli. Pietrangeli mentioned he wished his funeral to be held on the court docket named after him.
Nicola Chirinsky Pietrangeli was born in Tunis, which was a French colony on the time, to an Italian father and a Russian mom.
