His Serene Highness Prince Albert II was among those paying tribute in Rome as Italy bid an emotional farewell to tennis icon Nicola Pietrangeli, who passed away at the age of 92…
The Sovereign, a longtime friend of the former champion, attended the funeral at the Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio on December the 3rd, underlining the close personal bond they shared over many years.
“I knew him for many years,” HSH Prince Albert II said. “He was a splendid man. I really wanted to be here also for his family, I am very emotional. He was always there in the most important moments of my life.”
Hundreds of mourners gathered earlier at the Stadio Pietrangeli in the Foro Italico, the court renamed in his honour in 2006, where a public viewing and memorial service were held. Two tennis rackets and the Davis Cup won by Italy in 1976 under Pietrangeli’s captaincy were placed beside the coffin, amid blue and white floral arrangements. Images from his remarkable career played on a large screen, accompanied by the music of Charles Aznavour, one of his favourite artists.
When the coffin was carried away, Frank Sinatra’s My Way echoed across the stadium, a deeply symbolic farewell. “Everything was just as he wanted, the place and the music,” said his son, Marco.
Pietrangeli remains a towering figure in Italian sport, having won the French Championships in 1959 and 1960 and holding enduring Davis Cup records that defined an era.
