By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday May 11, 2024
There have been many high-profile retirement announcements in 2024. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are likely to finish their careers at some point this season, while Danielle Collins, Diego Schwartzman, Dominic Thiem and AlizΓ© Cornet definitely will.
Then we have one very VERY low profile retirement: that of Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
The 32-year-old former World No.26 and four-time WTA titlist reportedly filed retirement papers with the ITIA on May 7. After reports surfaced that Giorgi and her family had been unreachable since the formal retirement for reasons we’ll get into down the page, the Italian took to Instagram to say her piece.
“I am happy to formally announce retirement from my tennis career,” she wrote. “I am so grateful for your wonderful love and support for so many years. I cherish all the beautiful memories. There have been many inaccurate rumors about my future plans so I look forward to providing more information about exciting opportunities ahead.”
That note doesn’t change the fact that Giorgi has troubles to deal with.
A report has recently surfaced in La Gazzetta dello Sport that says Giorgi and her family are being pursued by authorities for tax evasion.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport “Investigators think that Giorgi abandoned Europe and moved to the United States. They believe that the entire family is involved in the case.”
Per La Gazzetta, which queried the investigations of the Florence Prosecutor's Office, Giorgi’s burden is shared by her father Sergio, an Argentinian, who has always been her coach, her mother Claudia, and brothers Leandro and Amadeus.
The tax case isn’t the only scandal Giorgi is involved in.
There is also the case of the fake Covid vaccinations, for which Giorgi is scheduled to appear in court on July 16. Giorgi was accused of obvaining falsifed proof of vaccination from a Dr. Daniella Grillone, who was arrested in 2022 for administering false Covid-19 vaccines.
Giorgi’s history of controversy goes even further back than these two cases. In 2014 Sports Illustrated reported that Giorgi and her father and coach Sergio allegedly amassed tens of thousands of dollars in debt to would-be private sponsors. Sergio called the accusations a vendetta by a club pro who wanted to coach his daughter.
Reportedly the father and daughter took in around 50,000 dollars from various investors who had expectations of being paid back or receiving a share of Giorgi’s prize money, but… no dice. With Giorgi’s career now over, it doesn’t appear that prize money will be flowing in any longer.
The WTA Tour has reportedly been unable to contact Giorgi.
The Daily Mail reports Giorgi will leverage her massive 740,000 Instagram following by pursuing a career as a lingerie model.