Camila Giorgi has fiercely denied allegations she used a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate in the lead-up to last year’s Australian Open.
Girogi’s family doctor Daniela Grillone claimed in the lead-up to this year’s event that the Italian never received the Covid-19 vaccine and instead asked for fake documentation “of all the mandatory vaccines, including the Covid vaccine”.
Grillone was charged by Italian police last February with administering fake serums, with the doctor allegedly providing fake vaccination certificates to dozens of high-profile people in Italy.
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Giorgi stormed through her first-round match in under an hour on Tuesday before publicly addressing the allegations for the first time.
“No, not at all (did I seek false documents), because I did vaccination with different places,” she said, while adding she did “everything” the Australian government asked of her.
“This needs to be very clear because it’s a big thing they say all around, and it’s not my problem. It’s her (the doctor’s) problem.”
The Herald Sun reports Giorgi’s father, Sergio, became irate at the line of questioning towards his daughter, telling journalists he “did not like your questions”.
Giorgi said the issue was with her doctor, rather than her own vaccination status.
“The doctor has been investigated, and she had troubles in this year with the law a few times,” she said.
“I just did all my vaccination in different places. So the trouble is hers. Not me. So with that, I’m very calm.
“Of course, if not, I couldn’t come here and play this tennis … she put my name (on her testimony), of course, but there is more than 300 people who she give their names, as well.”
After insisting she “did all the vaccination” with other doctors, Giorgi refused to clarify whether she had received an additional dose of the Covid-19 vaccine after finding out about allegations against Grillone.
“I did the vaccination. Thank you,” she concluded.
