Italian tennis has lost its most shining symbol. Nicola Pietrangeli, the first—and so far only—Italian to be inducted into the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died at 92. A figure who spanned eras and generations, leaving an indelible mark both on the court and in the country's popular culture.
Pietrangeli was the absolute dominator of the Davis Cup, a competition he helped elevate to myth: he is still the all-time world record holder for matches played (164) and matches won, both in singles (78 wins against 32 losses) and in doubles (42 wins and 12 losses). Together with Orlando Sirola, he formed the strongest pairing in the history of the event, capable of 34 wins in 42 matches. However, he only managed to win the Davis Cup as captain, in 1976.
Decades later, Pietrangeli claimed his masterpiece was not a sporting victory, but a diplomatic battle: leading Italy to play the final in Chile, overcoming political pressure and boycott attempts against Augusto Pinochet's regime. "The most difficult match," he said, "I won off the pitch."
A charismatic figure of the Dolce Vita, immortalised by an era and an imagery also described by Federico Fellini, Pietrangeli lived through the golden years of tennis between the late 50s and early 60s, when the rankings were drawn up by journalists and he was consistently considered among the top ten in the world.
His successes speak for themselves: two Roland Garros (1959 and 1960), two Internazionali d'Italia, 48 titles overall, as well as a gold medal at the 1963 Mediterranean Games and various international podiums, up to the bronze in singles at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, then a demonstration tournament.
A brilliant wit, always ready with a quip, he loved to play down his own greatness with a smile: "If I had trained more," he once confessed, "I would have won more, but I would have had less fun."
With him, a piece of Italian sporting history is gone, but the legacy of the champion who taught the country what it means to win with style remains.
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