Mystery surrounds the sudden and secretive retirement of Camila Giorgi, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2018, and has apparently quit tennis at the age of 32 to ‘pursue a career as a lingerie model’.
The Italian, who reached a career high ranking of 26 in October 2018, and has 4 WTA titles to her credit, was last seen on a match court at the Miami Open, where she was beaten in straight sets by World No 1 Iga Swiatek, on 23 March.
She has not played since, and did not enter the upcoming French Open, while her inclusion on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s list of retired players has shocked her fans.
While Giorgi has made no formal announcement, the Italian Tennis Federation (FITP) confirmed her retirement this week.
Corriere della Sera reported that the WTA, unaware of her retirement, have been unable to reach Giorgi or her family after her phone and those belonging to her father, Sergio, and her brothers, Leandro and Amadeus, have all been disconnected.
Marca, though, reports that the decision to retire was made so that Giorgi can focus on other interests, including modelling and her own sportswear and lingerie brand called Giomila.
While pursuing her tennis career, Giorgi amassed over 732,000 followers on Instagram with her posts of modelling pictures, and updates on her travels.
Giorgi still calls herself an athlete on Instagram, and uploaded a selfie to her story on 7 May with a caption that did not address the mounting speculation over her tennis career.
She lifted the biggest title of her career at the Canadian Open in Montreal in 2021, beating Karolina Pliskova in the final, while her 4th and last trophy came at the Merida Open in February 2023.
She also made it to the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Olympics 3 years ago.
According to reports, Camila Giorgi has retired to pursue a career as a lingerie model
Giorgi was surrounded by controversy in 2023, though, when she came under the spotlight after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 1st-round, and was accused of using a fake Covid vaccination certificate to get into the Australian Open, but she denied the claims, which had come from an Italian doctor.
“I did everything what they ask, the Australian government,” she said at the time. “Each year we are fine with that. Of course. I did all vaccination, yes. Of course, if not, I couldn’t come here and play this tennis, I think.”
Giorgi added she had received vaccinations from an Italian doctor as well as medical authorities in other countries during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Once [one vaccine from the doctor]. The other vaccination, I did it in different kind of places, so it’s what I’m trying to explain,” the Italian said.
She also garnered attention prior to the pandemic, in May 2021, when her coach and father, Sergio, repeatedly argued with an umpire during his daughters’ match against Sara Sorribes Tormo at the Italian Open.
“It’s possible for you to stay around?” the umpire asked security following the abuse. “Because Giorgi’s father is very mad, and I would like to have someone [nearby].”
Throughout her career, Giorgi, known for her powerful strokes, has experienced fluctuations in performance, and despite reaching a career-high ranking of No 26 in the world, she has apparently retired having last held the No 116 position.
