Italian Jew Aims for Wimbledon Quarters

By JTA July 2, 2012

Avid followers of the Italian Jewish sports world need not despair following Italy’s loss in the European Soccer Championship final last night.

Soccer star Mario Balotelli, foster son of an Italian Jewish mother, may not have delivered in the 4-0 loss to Spain, but another Italian Jewish athlete, tennis player Camila Giorgi, plays for a spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals this morning, according to the Times of Israel.

Giorgi, 20, took a spot as one of the tournament’s final 16 players after winning six straight matches – including victories over the 16th and 20th seeds. Before the tournament, she was ranked 145th in the world.

The Jewish Chronicle has reported that the Israeli Tennis Federation may offer Giorgi $100,000 to immigrate to Israel in return for 30 percent of her prize money during the next few years. Her father, Sergio, is reportedly negotiating the terms of the deal with the Federation.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO