Camila Giorgi’s sudden retirement and subsequent tax evasion reports had the tennis world talking earlier in the year. The Italian later took to social media to formally announce her retirement but did not address any other rumors.
The former top-20 player, however, in her latest interview with Italian channel Canale 5 has set the record straight, saying that her “sudden disappearance” was a manufactured version of the events.
Giorgi, who last played at the Miami Open in March, said she wanted to make a formal announcement of her retirement but some observers and fans jumped the gun after finding her name among the inactive list on the anti-doping website.
“Me suddenly disappeared? That’s the version they told. I didn’t disappear, I had to make an announcement in Paris about my retirement, then it came out on the anti-doping website that I had retired and the thing became public,” Giorgi said.
The Italian also addressed the tax evasion reports, saying her family was not aware of the particulars and those managing her finances were to blame for the irregularities.
Giorgi, who now splits her time between Miami and her home country, went on to describe her father and family as “victims” but added that she has since changed the team managing her finances.
“My family was not aware of the tax situation, the problems arose because of the people who managed me,” Giorgi said. “When I signed for the withdrawal, chaos broke out.”
“We were never scared, we changed the people who took care of me and now we are in order. And I am sorry that the blame was placed on my father. I do not like the word victim, but this time it is like this,” she added.
“I’ve wanted to quit for years” – Camila Giorgi opens up on ‘tough’ life on Tour
Camila Giorgi had lifted the title at the 2023 Merida Open Akron. (Source: Getty)
Camila Giorgi had lifted the title at the 2023 Merida Open Akron. (Source: Getty)
Camila Giorgi also opened up about the demanding nature of the tennis Tour, saying she had been wanting to quit for years.
The hectic travel and competition schedule, Giorgi said, had become too much for her to handle and she simply decided to call time on her career in May. She revealed that her father was very supportive of her decision, also rubbishing claims of him being domineering.
“I’ve wanted to quit for years, the life of a tennis player is a tough one,” Camila Giorgi explained. “Put it off for a long time, then, in May, one morning I decided.”
“I told my father. He was happy, he’s always been on my side. It’s not true that he’s a domineering father, he’s very understanding and we’ve always gotten along very well,” she added.
Giorgi, who said she still enjoys playing tennis for leisure, was a familiar presence on the Tour for a decade and a half. The Italian picked up four titles in her career, including a WTA 1000 at the 2021 Canadian Open, and peaked at No. 26 in the world rankings.