ROME — Nicola Pietrangeli, the Italian tennis champion of the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties whose document was solely not too long ago damaged by Jannik Sinner, and who stays the winningest participant in Davis Cup historical past, has died. He was 92 years outdated.
The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation introduced Pietrangeli’s dying on Monday, with out giving a explanation for dying. The federation famous that Pietrangeli is the one Italian participant to be inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame.
Pietrangeli received the 1959 French Open, changing into the primary Italian participant to win a Grand Slam trophy. He defended that title a 12 months later, and the document of two Grand Slam singles titles by an Italian participant wouldn’t be damaged till 2025, when Sinner received his second consecutive Australian Open title, growing his complete to a few.
This was Sinner’s fourth main victory.
“I received $150 for the 1960 title, which is the equal of two months’ hire for my home in Rome,” Pietrangeli informed Gazzetta dello Sport in 2020.
Pietrangeli was additionally runner-up at Roland Garros in 1961 and 1964, however misplaced in each finals to Spanish participant Manuel Santana. He received the doubles title in Paris in 1959 with Orlando Sirola.
“In 1964, Santana and I made a wager that the loser would pay for dinner,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “I revered the settlement and 10 of us went out that night time, together with my spouse, and Manolo invited (Spanish soccer participant) Luisito Suarez,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “I spent all the cash I earned from the match overlaying that night time.”
Pietrangeli additionally reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1960 and the quarter-finals of the 1957 Australian Open.
Davis Cup Data Within the Davis Cup, Pietrangeli performed in 164 of 66 video games for Italy and holds the information for many profession wins and most singles wins. His singles document was 78 wins and 32 losses, and his doubles document was 42 wins and 12 losses. He additionally fashioned one half of Davis Cup’s most profitable doubles partnership with Sirola, with the pair profitable 34 of 42 matches collectively.
As a participant, Pietrangeli led Italy to 2 Davis Cup finals, however each occasions they misplaced away to an Australian group that includes Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
In 1976, Pietrangeli lastly lifted the Davis Cup trophy as captain, teaching Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazutti, Paolo Bertolucci and Antonio Zugarelli to the title with a victory over Chile below Augusto Pinochet’s army dictatorship.
Though there have been requires Italy to chorus from touring to Chile, Pietrangeli strongly urged the Azzurri to journey to Chile.
“That was my largest contribution within the ultimate,” Pietrangeli mentioned. “If it wasn’t for me, Italy would not have made it to the ultimate and we would not have received the championship.”
Italy wouldn’t win the Davis Cup once more till Sinner led the Azzurri to the title in 2023 and 2024. And final month in Bologna, Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli led Italy to their third straight Davis Cup title and their nation’s first.
Stadio Pietrangeli After his taking part in and training profession, Pietrangeli turned one thing of a “godfather” of Italian tennis. He was an everyday on the entrance row on the Foro Italico Italian Open, which he received in 1957 and 1961, defeating Laver within the late ultimate.
In 2006, the Paracorda Courtroom, lined with statues of the Foro Italico, thought of probably the most stunning stadiums on the circuit, was renamed Stadio Pietrangeli. Pietrangeli mentioned he would love his funeral to be held in a courtroom named after him.
Nicola Chirinski Pietrangeli was born in Tunis, then a French colony, to an Italian father and a Russian mom.
