From Wednesday, the funeral chapel will be in the “most beautiful stadium in the world.” Nicola joked about his funeral, imagining “My Way” accompanying the coffin… “It’s a shame I won’t be able to know who will be there.”
“If it rains, we’ll postpone it.” A phrase (also the title of his biography) that has always accompanied Nicola Pietrangeli’s life, an ironic touch born of a career marked by many successes (two Roland Garros and two Internazionali victories above all) and an approach to tennis accompanied by great natural talent. He referred to training and matches, but he also used it humorously when talking about when his funeral would be. With a touch of seriousness, he suggested celebrating 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, considered by many to be the most beautiful tennis court in the world, which bears his name. He said this in 2023, at the age of 90. And indeed, the funeral chapel will be held at the Pietrangeli on Wednesday, December 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., before the actual funeral service, which will take place at 3 p.m. in the Church of Santa Maria della Gran Madre di Dio in Ponte Milvio. “In a thousand years, when the time comes, I choose my court first of all because there is parking, and secondly because there are three thousand seats,” Nicola reflected in 2023. He also imagined a perhaps slightly cinematic version: “If it rains, we could postpone it and put the coffin in the underpass. I’m still deciding on the music, although ‘My Way’ at the exit wouldn’t be bad.“
Just one ”regret”— These words alone define the unfiltered character that Nicola Pietrangeli has always been, from his days on the court to the last years of his life. 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 in the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. And when he imagined his funeral, he ended with a single regret related to his absence: “I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend, to see who comes and who doesn’t…”
