In the high-stakes world of professional tennis, retirements are often grand affairs—press conferences, tearful farewells, and highlight reels of career-defining moments. But not for Camila Giorgi. On May 7, 2024, the Italian firecracker's name quietly popped up on the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) retired players list, marking the end of a 15-year WTA career without so much as a whisper from the player herself. Her last match? A straight-sets defeat to world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the second round of the Miami Open on March 23, 2024. From there, Giorgi vanished from the tour, leaving fans baffled and the tennis world speculating: *Why the silent exit?*
### A Career of Power, Style, and Enigma
Camila Giorgi, now 34, was no ordinary player. The Macerata native burst onto the scene with a booming serve, ferocious groundstrokes, and an uncanny ability to upset top seeds—reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2018 and peaking at World No. 26. Her trophy cabinet boasted four WTA titles, including the prestigious 2021 National Bank Open in Montreal, where she stunned world No. 4 Karolina Plíšková in the final. Off the court, Giorgi was a fashion icon, blending tennis whites with lingerie modeling gigs that turned heads far beyond the baseline. Yet, her journey was marred by controversies: family feuds involving abuse allegations against her parents (which she vehemently denied), erratic scheduling, and whispers of burnout.
By early 2024, at age 32 and ranked No. 116, Giorgi seemed poised for one last push. Instead, she ghosted.
### The ITIA List Bombshell—and the Silence That Followed
Tennis insiders first noticed something amiss when Giorgi skipped Roland Garros and failed to respond to WTA outreach. Then came the ITIA confirmation: "ITA / Giorgi / Camila Giorgi / 07 May 2024." No fanfare. No Instagram Live. Just a bureaucratic footnote on an anti-doping registry, signaling she no longer needed to submit to random tests.
The tennis community erupted on social media. "Camila Giorgi has retired from tennis," trended on Reddit and X, with fans mourning the loss of her iconic double-fisted water-drinking rituals and bikini-clad practice sessions. But why no goodbye? Giorgi finally broke her silence five days later via Instagram Story: "I am happy to formally announce retirement from my tennis career... There have been many inaccurate rumors about my future plans." She teased "exciting opportunities ahead" but offered zero details.
### The Dark Clouds: Tax Evasion, Unpaid Rent, and a Rumored Escape
The real story, Italian media claimed, was far murkier—and explained the hush. Reports alleged Giorgi owed Italian tax authorities up to €1 million (over $1.1 million USD) in unpaid earnings from her career. She was accused of fleeing to the United States to dodge investigators, with her phone going dark and WTA officials unable to reach her. Adding fuel: Lawsuits from Florence landlords claiming she and her family trashed high-end villas, stole antiques worth €400,000, and skipped out on six months' rent.
"Camila Giorgi has disappeared," blared headlines, painting her as a tax-dodging model on the lam. Her lawyer pushed back, insisting the retirement was planned and coincidental, with any move abroad predating probes. In an October 2024 Italian TV interview, Giorgi herself clarified: She'd wanted out of tennis "for years," relocating to pursue passions like cooking and fashion—not evasion.
### Life After the Baseline: Model, Reporter, and Tease of a Comeback?
True to her word, Giorgi reinvented herself with flair. She dove into lingerie modeling, launched a food blog (sharing pasta recipes from her new U.S. base), and stunned fans by resurfacing as a courtside reporter at the February 2025 Argentina Open—microphone in hand, interviewing players in a nod to her tennis roots. By summer 2025, whispers of an unretirement swirled after cryptic social posts hinting the "door is open."
Yet, as of October 2025, she's stayed retired, thriving in anonymity compared to the tour's glare. No Billie Jean King Cup call-ups, no exhibition circuits—just Giorgi, living large on her terms.
### The Ultimate Power Serve: Exit on Her Own Rules
Giorgi's silent walkaway wasn't defeat; it was defiance. Amid scandals that could have dominated headlines, she slipped the noose, retiring via paperwork and letting the ITIA do the talking. For a player who dazzled with unorthodox flair, it was the perfect coda: mysterious, unapologetic, and entirely her own. Tennis lost a warrior, but Camila Giorgi? She gained her freedom. **
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