1. Adriano Panatta won the French Open in 1976, when he became the first Italian man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title.
13 Facts About Adriano Panatta
1. 2.
Adriano Panatta's father was the caretaker of the Tennis Club Parioli, and as a youngster he learned to play the game on the club's clay courts.
3.
Adriano Panatta became a successful European junior player before turning professional.
4.
Adriano Panatta finished off 1976 by helping Italy capture its first-ever Davis Cup title, winning two singles and a doubles rubber in the final against Chile.
5.
Adriano Panatta reached his career-high singles ranking of world No 4 that year.
6.
Adriano Panatta remained the highest-ranking Italian tennis player in history until February 2024, when Jannik Sinner became No 3; Sinner went on to rank No 1.
7.
Adriano Panatta is the only player to have defeated Bjorn Borg at the French Open.
8.
Adriano Panatta faced Borg at the semifinal stage of the 1975 tournament; Borg won on this occasion in four sets.
9.
In 1977, Adriano Panatta won the World Championship Tennis in Houston, where he defeated Jimmy Connors and Vitas Gerulaitis.
10.
Adriano Panatta followed this up with another title in Tokyo in 1978.
11.
Adriano Panatta was less successful on fast surfaces, especially on grass.
12.
Adriano Panatta competed in offshore powerboat racing, most specifically in Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
13.
From 1992 until 2002, Adriano Panatta competed as a rally driver.