Nicola Pietrangeli, Italy’s Clay-Court Icon and Cultural Trailblazer, Dies at 92. Nicola Pietrangeli, Italy’s greatest pre-Open Era tennis champion and a two-time Roland Garros winner, has died at 92, the Italian Tennis Federation announced. A master of clay, he famously won the 1960 French Open final despite bleeding through his socks after three sets of brutal rallies against Luis Ayala. More than an athlete, Pietrangeli became a national celebrity who brought tennis into Italy’s mainstream with his charm, elegance and matinee-idol allure. His career highlights include two French Open singles titles, multiple doubles crowns, four Roland Garros finals, a Wimbledon semifinal, and 48 titles overall. He was a Davis Cup legend, playing a record 164 matches and later captaining Italy to a politically charged victory over Pinochet’s Chile in 1976. Born in Tunis and shaped by wartime upheaval, Pietrangeli rose from displaced youth to global star, embodying both exuberance and imperfection. Known as a bon vivant, he embraced pleasure over discipline, insisting he never regretted choosing joy over rigorous training: “I played because I loved it.” Honored with a stadium named after him and inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, he remained a sharp, sometimes provocative voice on modern tennis until his final years.