Italian Triumphs in Grand Slam Tennis: From Nicola Pietrangeli to Jannik Sinner

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Sunday 28 January 2024, 13:53 - Last updated: 17:55

From Nicola Pietrangeli to Jannik Sinner, through Adriano Panatta, and the female triumphs of Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta. 48 years after the last men's slam won by an Italian (Panatta in '76 in Paris) comes the one from the South Tyrolean who won in five sets, coming from behind, on Daniil Medvedev the Australian Open to enrich the booty of Italian tennis victories in the grand slam tournaments.

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All Italian triumphs in the Slams

The first to put the tricolor seal was Pietrangeli, at Roland Garros in 1959, repeating himself the following year always in the Parisian tournament, where however he had grazed the glory many years before, in 1932, Giorgio De Stefani, defeated in the final by the home idol Henri Cochet. Pietrangeli, on the other hand, achieved the goal at the first final, beating South African Ian Vermaak in four sets. He needed five, the following year, to beat Chilean Luis Ayala, with a 6-3 in the decisive match. In those years, the Italian king of clay was considered by journalist Lance Tingay the number 3 in the world.

@ilmessaggero.it Jannik Sinner wins the Australian Open and wins the first Slam of his career by beating Russian Medvedev in 5 sets. At just 22 years old, the boy from San Candido is already the strongest Italian tennis player ever. Here's why. . . . [#IlMessaggero] #janniksinner #ausopen #tiktoktennis #tennis #sport #sinner #medvedev ♬ The Champion - Lux-Inspira

It had to pass other years, well 16, before the witness of success, always in Paris, was collected by Adriano Panatta, who in 1976 beat the American Solomon in four sets, eliminating along the path to the final also Bjorn Borg.

In the women's singles, Italy lived the most unforgettable day, at Slam level: the first all-Italian final at the US Open 2015, won by Flavia Pennetta in two sets on Roberta Vinci, but in history the first Italian women's Slam, was won in 2010 by Francesca Schiavone, "obviously" at Roland Garros, on the Australian Samantha Stosur.

But to put their signature on the Italian slams were also the doubles: Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini triumphed at the Australian Open in 2015, beating in two sets the French pair Herbert- Mahut. Before that success, there was only one title for Italy in the major in men's doubles, the Roland Garros 1959 by Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola, who overcame the Australians Emerson and Fraser in three sets, with a remarkable 14-12 in the decisive one.