Another Tennis Star Has Apparent Vaccine Troubles

Around this same time last year, Australia was booting Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic out of the country, prohibiting him from competing in the Australian Open due to his lack of COVID vaccination. Now, right before this year's tennis tourney Down Under, a similar controversy is bubbling up involving Italy's Camila Giorgi. The 31-year-old, who has three singles titles to her name and is currently ranked the world's 66th women's player, was named in December on a list of celebrities and other public figures who allegedly are under investigation for using fake certificates showing they'd received their coronavirus vaccine, per Yahoo Sports.

Over the weekend, Daniela Grillone, who says she's Giorgi's family doctor, told Italian publication Corriere del Veneto that Giorgi had asked her personally for phony vaccine paperwork, and that neither Giorgi nor other family members had been vaccinated. "I can confirm with absolute certainty that none of the vaccines against the Giorgi family have actually been administered," Grillone said, adding she'd never gotten paid by Giorgi or her relatives (ostensibly for the fake vaccine certificates) and that she was "deeply upset and sorry" for her role in it.

Grillone was arrested in February for administering fake vaccines in a scandal that has involved "hundreds of doctors, nurses, police, and entrepreneurs," per News.com.au. Although proof of vaccination isn't required to play in this year's Australian Open, where Giorgi is set to compete, the allegations raise questions on whether she presented fake proof to be eligible in last year's tournament. Giorgi also played in the US Open last year; overseas visitors are still required to be vaccinated against COVID to enter the US. The Women's Tennis Association tells News Corp it's "monitoring the situation."

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Australia's Department of Home Affairs, which can revoke a person's visa if they use fake documents, isn't confirming it's looking into Giorgi's case specifically. "All allegations of fraudulent or falsified information relating to a visa application are assessed to determine the veracity of the claims" is all a spokesperson would say, per ABC Australia. Giorgi is currently in Australia, prepping for the Open. (More tennis players stories.)