Italian tennis pro Camila Giorgi’s Australian Open press conference on Tuesday turned into a finger-pointing session when reporters began peppering her with questions about her reported part in a fake COVID vaccine card controversy.
The questions arose after Giorgi’s victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round of the Australian Open, where the Italian easily overtook Pavlyuchenkova in a 6-0, 6-1 win.
The press conference turned testy almost immediately, the New York Post reported.
Giorgi’s name was revealed on a list of 300 patients of Dr. Daniela Grillone, a doctor in Italy who has been accused of selling fake vaccine cards, but the player denies having received a fake card and insists that she has had all her shots.
“The doctor is being investigated, she had trouble in this [past] year with the law – a few times,” Giorgi replied when reporters asked about the accusations against the doctor. “I did all my vaccinations in different places so the trouble is with her, not me.”
“And with that I’m very calm and of course, if not I could not come here and play this tennis,” the 31-year-old player added.
She did admit that she went to the doctor in question for one vaccination.
“Once. The other vaccination, I did it in different kind of places, so it’s what I’m trying to explain,” she told reporters.
Camila Giorgi of Italy reacts after her loss to Madison Keys of the United States in their Women’s Singles Second Round match on Day Three of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2022, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley had said ahead of the tournament that he was not fully informed about the controversy in Italy.
“I think there’s still a lot to be uncovered on that and I think that’s going to be ultimately up to their family and the relevant authorities including the tour. I don’t really know any further detail,” he said.
Still, Australia relaxed its once stringent COVID requirements and no longer requires travelers to provide proof of vaccination. Further, she competed last year when the requirements were still in place. So, it appears that the Open was satisfied with her credentials then.
The player’s father, Sergio Giorgi, who was on hand at the press conference, was disgusted by the affair.
“Unbelievable, no questions about tennis,” he said.
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