Giorgi denies seeking fake Covid vaccine certificate

Italian tennis player says she’s fully vaccinated, refuses obtaining falsified documents to compete

MELBOURNE:

Italy's Camila Giorgi on Tuesday denied seeking a fake Covid-19 vaccine certificate after a doctor in Italy alleged she had never administered the vaccine to the player.

Italian media reported that doctor Daniela Grillone was charged by Italian police last February and is being investigated for allegedly administering false Covid vaccines and providing fake vaccination certificates.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere del Veneto, Grillone identified Giorgi as a patient, alleging that the player had not been vaccinated by her and that she had sought falsified documents of vaccination against Covid.

Giorgi reached the third round of last year's Australian Open, where proof of vaccination was a requirement for entry into the country. Novak Djokovic was deported for not being vaccinated.

"No, not at all," Giorgi told reporters in response to a question on whether she had sought a false vaccination certificate from Grillone.

"I did vaccination with different places. This needs to be very clear. It's not my problem, it's her (the doctor's) problem.

"I just did vaccination with her once, and the other ones I did with other doctors ... The problems are on that doctor, not on me. The doctor has been investigated, and she had troubles in this year with the law a few times."

Giorgi, 31, said she was fully vaccinated. She did not clarify whether she had used documents provided by Grillone to enter Australia last year.

"I did the vaccination, thank you," Giorgi said when pressed on the topic. "I did everything what they ask, the Australia government. Each year we are fine with that. I just did all my vaccination in different places. The trouble is hers, not me. I'm very calm, if not I couldn't come here and play."