Overview
- He died at 92 as announced by Italy’s tennis federation, which did not disclose a cause, noting his health had declined after a hip fracture in December 2024.
- He became Italy’s first Grand Slam singles winner with French Open titles in 1959 and 1960, adding men’s doubles in 1959 and mixed doubles in 1958.
- He set national Davis Cup marks with 164 matches and 120 wins and, as captain, guided Italy to its first title in 1976 in Chile during Pinochet’s dictatorship despite protests at home.
- He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986, and Rome’s statue-lined Pallacorda court at the Foro Italico was renamed Stadio Pietrangeli in his honor in 2006.
- Tributes poured in from the Italian federation and the Rome tournament, and coverage noted the recent death of his son Giorgio earlier this year.