The 2025 Wimbledon tournament has been enthralling, as the stars of the ATP and WTA Tours battle it out on the grass.
From the very first round, Wimbledon became must-watch TV, as French Open champion Coco Gauff suffered a shock defeat to Dayana Yastremska.
Several other top seeds lost early at SW19, including Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper, and Jasmine Paolini.
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Heading towards the tournament’s conclusion, there are plenty of stories to watch out for, none more intriguing than Novak Djokovic’s hunt for a 25th Grand Slam title.
However, as fans around the world continue to tune in, one former Grand Slam champion claims he hasn’t seen a single match at Wimbledon in 2025, as he complains about his treatment in England over recent years.
Nicola Pietrangeli hasn’t watched any of Wimbledon and says the ‘English didn’t treat him well’
During an interview with Corriere della Sera, two-time French Open champion Nicola Pietrangeli revealed he hasn’t been watching Wimbledon.
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“I haven’t seen a single match,” he said.
“I don’t have good memories of the last few years as a spectator. The English didn’t treat me well.
“They wouldn’t even give me a car to get around. I took a taxi. I deserved more kindness.”
Pietrangeli, a legend of Italian tennis, often has the proverbial red carpet rolled out for him at the Italian Open and at the ATP Finals in Turin.
The 91-year-old doesn’t believe he has been treated with enough respect in England, however, as he decides not to watch this year’s tournament.
Pietrangeli, a two-time Grand Slam champion, enjoyed plenty of success at Wimbledon during his career, winning 30 matches, enjoying a sensational run to the semifinals 45 years ago.
Nicola Pietrangeli at Wimbledon in 1960
Taking on the legendary Rod Laver in the last four, Pietrangeli fell just short, losing in five sets.
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Pietrangeli failed to return to the quarterfinal stage in his next 12 visits to the All England Club, retiring from tennis in 1973 without a Wimbledon title to his name.
Decades on, no Italian player, male or female, has won Wimbledon, although that’s not to say they haven’t been close.
How close have Italian players been to winning Wimbledon?
In 2021, Matteo Berrettini beat Hubert Hurkacz in four sets to advance to the Wimbledon final, becoming the first player to do so in the history of Italian tennis.
Standing between Berrettini and the Wimbledon title was Djokovic, one of the greatest players to ever grace Centre Court.
During the early stages, it looked like an upset could be on the cards, as an inspired Berrettini won the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 [7-4].
He wasn’t quite able to maintain that level throughout, however, as the Italian lost in four sets, 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 3-6.
Just three years later, Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to qualify for the Wimbledon final, defeating Donna Vekic in the semi-finals.
Dropping the first set of the final to Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova, Paolini battled back to take the second, putting her within touching distance of the title.
It wasn’t to be, as Krejcikova defeated Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, winning her second Grand Slam title.
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In 2025, all hopes rest on the shoulders of Jannik Sinner, who is searching for his first non-hard-court Grand Slam title.
The Italian was incredibly fortunate to reach the quarterfinals, as Sinner’s opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, retired from their fourth-round match while leading 2-0.
Dealing with an injury of his own, Sinner will hope his elbow doesn’t trouble him too much when he takes to Court One for his quarterfinal clash with Ben Shelton.
Only time will tell if Sinner can go all the way at Wimbledon in 2025, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Sinner and Shelton will play their quarterfinal match on Wednesday, July 9.