Camila Giorgi, Italy's tennis star, who secretly quit the sport has fled the country with her family to avoid a dispute with tax authorities, New York Post reported. The 32-year-old Italian pro was listed on the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) retired players list on Tuesday.
According to investigations of the Florence Prosecutor's Office, the former Wimbledon star and her family have several ''gaps'' regarding tax returns, which have never been submitted.
The WTA has been unable to reach Ms Giorgi or her family, and was unaware of her retirement, according to Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper. Another top sports newspaper La Gazzetto dello Sport said Guardia di Finanza, the country's top police force for financial crime, is looking into her tax affairs. The outlet further reported that Ms Giorgi has left Italy for the United States since abruptly quitting tennis. She is said to have been joined by her father Sergio, mother Claudio and brothers Leandro and Amadeus.
On Sunday morning, Ms Giorgi broke her silence in the wake of the claims against her.
''Please trust this Instagram for truthful information. To my dear fans, I am happy to formally announce my retirement from my tennis career. 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 rumours about my plans, so I look forward to providing more information about exciting opportunities ahead. It is a joy to share my life with you and let's continue this journey together. With much love, Camila,'' she wrote on Instagram stories.
She has previously come under fire after facing accusations that she used a fake Covid vaccination certificate to get into the Australian Open in 2022.
Ms Giorgi is currently number 116 in the WTA rankings after she earned a career-high singles ranking of world number 26 in 2018. The tennis star has over 739,000 followers on Instagram where she shares glamorous pictures of her. She also owns a fashion brand, Giomila. The tennis player previously told Bild that after her tennis career, she would like to pursue a career as a fashion designer or writer.
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