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This week Camila Giorgi won the National Bank Open, Canada’s most prestigious tennis tournament, and it was a milestone for two reasons.
First, it was the first major title win in the 29-year-old’s career, and a huge upset — she was ranked 71st in the world before beating No. 6 Karolina Pliskova in the finals.
Reports have swirled for years that Giorgi might be Jewish and that she was considering obtaining Israeli citizenship to play for the country’s team in the Fed Cup — a World Cup-style tournament. She confirmed to JTA that her parents, Argentines who immigrated to Italy, are Jewish. In fact, her favorite book is “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Although she did not see Giorgi win the National Bank Open on television, Heldman said she knew of the Italian player and her Jewishness and was “elated” to learn of her victory.
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“The feat speaks well not only of Giorgi’s desire and talent but of the popularity of tennis around the world and the Jewish Diaspora,” Heldman, now 75 and a grandmother, said from her home in Santa Monica, California.
“There are not as many Jewish people in Italy as elsewhere, so Giorgi’s title indicates that anyone around the world, including Jews, are capable of accomplishing outstanding achievements in tennis or any other field,” added the former champion, who was ranked as high as fifth in the world in 1969 and last month was inducted into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame.
The National Bank Open title moved Giorgi’s world ranking to 34 and continued a hot streak: She has won 16 of 20 matches since the French Open in late May and reached the quarterfinals for Italy at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this month.
