Nicola Pietrangeli

The recorded working language is Italian, English and French. Distinctions recorded are International Tennis Hall of Fame, Philippe Chatrier Award, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

• Name — Nicola Pietrangeli • Full Name — Nicola Chirinsky Pietrangeli • Born — 11 September 1933 • Birthplace — Tunis, French protectorate of Tunisia • Died — 1 December 2025 • Place of death — Rome, Italy • Plays — Right-handed (one-handed backhand) • Turnedpro — 1968 (amateur from 1953) • Retired — 1973 • Tennishofyear — 1986 • Tennishofid — nicola-pietrangeli • Singlesrecord — 687–278 (71.4%) • Singlestitles — 44 • Highestsinglesranking — No. 3 (1959, Lance Tingay) • Australianopenresult — QF (1957) • Frenchopenresult — W (1959, 1960) • Wimbledonresult — SF (1960) • Usopenresult — 3R (1955, 1965) • Doublestitles — 8 • Frenchopendoublesresult — W (1959) • Wimbledondoublesresult — F (1956) • Frenchopenmixedresult — W (1958) • Wimbledonmixedresult — 3R (1955, 1959) • Team — yes • Daviscupresult — F (1960 Ch, 1961 Ch) • Medaltemplates — Mediterranean Games

Nicola Chirinsky was born 11 September 1933 in Tunis, then a French colony, to Giulio Pietrangeli, also born in Tunis but of Italian parents from Abruzzo and Anna Chirinskaya (von Yourgens), a Russian noble mother. At the time of his birth, his mother was married to a Russian count, and he only acquired the surname Pietrangeli upon her marriage to his father, who was interned as a political prisoner during the Allied invasion of Tunisia in World War II. He started playing tennis during that period, until his father was expelled in 1946 and the family settled in Rome, Italy. There, Pietrangeli, a native French and Russian speaker, learned Italian.

Pietrangeli made his international debut at the 1952 Italian Open, losing in four sets to Jacques Peten. He appeared in four men's singles finals at Roland Garros – winning the title in 1959 and 1960, and finishing runner-up in 1961 and 1964. He also won the Roland Garros men's doubles title in 1959 (together with Orlando Sirola), and the mixed doubles in 1958. At Wimbledon, Pietrangeli was a single semifinalist in 1960, when he lost to Rod Laver in 5 sets. He won the Italian Open in 1957 and 1961 and was ranked World No. 3 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph in 1959 and 1960 and also by Ned Potter in 1961. • Illustration — Pietrangeli in 1964 Pietrangeli represented Italy in the Davis Cup between 1954 and 1972. He played in a record 164 Davis Cup rubbers, winning a record 120. He was a player on the Italian teams which reached the Davis Cup final in 1960 and 1961. Both finals were played on grass tennis courts in Australia, and the Italians were not able to overcome the strong Australian team which included Laver, Roy Emerson, and Neale Fraser. After retiring as a player, Pietrangeli became Italy's Davis Cup team captain and guided them to winning their first-ever Davis Cup in 1976. Pietrangeli was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986. On his 73rd birthday, the old tennis stadium in Foro Italico of Rome was named in his honour. He is among the very few tennis players to have received such an honour while still living (others include Laver and Margaret Court).

Pietrangeli was a supporter of S.S. Lazio and also played in the team in his youth. He also played a supporting role in the movie There Was a Castle with Forty Dogs in 1990.

Pietrangeli was an Eastern Orthodox Christian like his Russian mother. He had three children with his first wife, Susanna, who later left him for another man. He had a long relationship with the Italian journalist and TV presenter Licia Colò, 28 years younger than he was. Pietrangeli died in Rome on 1 December 2025, at the age of 92, as announced by the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation. He had experienced declining health after sustaining a hip fracture in December 2024.

• Result — Year — Championship — Surface — Opponent — Score • Win — 1959 — French Championships — Clay — Ian Vermaak — 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–1 • Win — 1960 — French Championships — Clay — Luis Ayala — 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 • Loss — 1961 — French Championships — Clay — Manuel Santana — 6–4, 1–6, 6–3, 0–6, 2–6 • Loss — 1964 — French Championships — Clay — Manuel Santana — 3–6, 1–6, 6–4, 5–7

• Result — Year — Championship — Surface — Partner — Opponents — Score • Loss — 1955 — French Championships — Clay — Orlando Sirola — Vic Seixas Tony Trabert — 1–6, 6–4, 2–6, 4–6 • Loss — 1956 — Wimbledon Championships — Grass — Orlando Sirola — Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall — 5–7, 2–6, 1–6 • Win — 1959 — French Championships — Clay — Orlando Sirola — Roy Emerson Neale Fraser — 6–3, 6–2, 14–12

• Result — Year — Championship — Surface — Partner — Opponents — Score • Win — 1958 — French Championships — Clay — Shirley Bloomer — Lorraine Coghlan Bob Howe — 8–6, 6–2

• Tournament — Amateur career — Open career — Career SR — Career W–L — Career Win% • '54 — '55 — '56 — '57 — '58 — '59 — '60 — '61 — '62 — '63 — '64 — '65 — '66 — '67 — '68 — '69 — '70 — '71 — '72 — '73 • Grand Slam tournaments • Australian Open — A — A — A — QF — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — 0 / 1 — 2–1 — 67% • French Open — 3R — 3R — QF — 1R — 4R — W — W — F — QF — QF — F — 4R — 3R — 3R — 1R — 1R — 3R — 3R — 3R — 1R — 2 / 20 — 50–17 — 75% • Wimbledon — 2R — QF — 4R — 1R — 4R — 1R — SF — 3R — 3R — 3R — 2R — 4R — 1R — 2R — 1R — 1R — 1R — A — 3R — 1R — 0 / 19 — 29–18 — 62% • US Open — A — 3R — A — A — A — A — A — A — 1R — A — 2R — 3R — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — A — 0 / 4 — 5–3 — 63% • Career — 2 / 44 — 86–39 — 69%

Nicola Pietrangeli is recorded as having received International Tennis Hall of Fame, Philippe Chatrier Award and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.