Starting Wednesday, the viewing room will be set up in the “most beautiful stadium in the world.” Nicola joked about his funeral, imagining “My Way” playing as the casket was carried out… “Too bad I won’t know who’s coming”

“If it rains, we’ll postpone it.” A phrase (also the title of his biography) that always characterized Nicola Pietrangeli’s life—an ironic touch born of a career on the court marked by numerous successes (notably two French Open titles and two victories at the Italian Open) and an approach to tennis fueled by great natural talent. He was referring to training sessions and matches, but he also used it humorously when talking about when his funeral would take place. Even with a touch of seriousness, he suggested it be celebrated in a special way.

on his court—  The first condition Nicola was keen to emphasize was the location: the Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium at the Foro Italico—which many consider the most beautiful tennis court in the world—that bears his name. He said this in 2023, at the age of 90. And indeed, the viewing will take place right at the Pietrangeli Stadium on Wednesday, December 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., before the actual funeral service, which will be held at 3 p.m. at the Church of Santa Maria della Gran Madre di Dio in Ponte Milvio. “A thousand years from now, whenever that may be, I’ll choose my court first of all because there’s parking, and second because there are three thousand seats,” Nicola reflected in 2023. He also imagined a version that was perhaps a bit cinematic: “If it rains, we could postpone it and place the casket in the underpass. I’m still deciding on the music, though ‘My Way’ as we leave wouldn’t be bad.”

just one “regret”—  These words alone define the unfiltered character that Nicola Pietrangeli—from his days on the court to the final years of his life—always was. With his contradictions, of course, but leaving behind an enormous legacy. After all, he is the only Italian tennis player who can boast the honor of being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. And when he imagined his own funeral, he concluded with a single regret tied to his absence: “I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend, to see who comes and who doesn’t…”