Camila Giorgi’s bizarre exit from tennis befits her ‘outsider’ status
She was always something of an outliner on the tennis circuit and now it appears Camila Giorgi will leave tennis without any leaving ceremony.
The former world No 26 does not merit the kind of fanfare being afforded to Rafael Nadal as he bids a long goodbye to tennis across this clay court season, but the manner of her exit from the sport has left plenty of unanswered questions.
Giorgi has yet to comment on her ‘retirement’ from tennis, which was confirmed by an updated list of former players on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) website on May 7.
The ITIA has been set up to safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide, as they oversee the doping programme that governs the game.
The agency has recently been involved in a high-profile case involving former world No 1 Simona Halep, who was permitted to continue her career after a lengthy doping ban was reduced.
What looks set to be Giorgi’s last match as a professional came with a heavy defeat against world No 1 Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open in March, with her absence from the court since then was not viewed as significant until the news of her exit from the sport appeared to be confirmed.
The fact that it was the ITIA revealing Giorgi’s retirement raised some eyebrows, but we won’t know the reasons behind the decision until the 32-year-old Italian speaks in public not the news of posts a message on her popular social media accounts.
Giorgi has a little over 732k followers on her Instagram page, making her one of the most popular players in tennis.
That may seem a little surprising for a player who has not enjoyed the kind of wins that would promote big follower numbers, yet Giorgi will have a lot of fans who may not necessarily follow her for tennis reasons.
A huge fan of fashion this glamorous Italian has used her Instagram page to promote the Giomila range of clothes made by her mother’s company, with plenty of the images she has posted creating a big stir.
READ MORE: Camila Giorgi wows her fans with more revealing photos on Instagram
Giorgi has never been afraid to post revealing images that have generated huge likes, with her underwear photoshoots especially popular with her fans.
Some of Giorgi’s Instagram posts were not well received by fellow players who are keen to promote women’s sport in a different way, yet Giorgi offered no apologies for the manner she chose to promote herself.
Along with her mother Claudia Fullone, Camila has always been keen to take her love of stylish clothes onto the court and that has helped her to attract a huge following of fans around the world.
Some in the tennis community have suggested Giorgi should have focused on tennis and put her fashion shoots on hold while she was still trying to climb the WTA Rankings, but she revealed that this is the way she likes to relax away from tennis in an interview last year.
“Fashion has always been my great passion,” she said. “I like sports a lot, but I like fashion more. An obsession that has been passed on to me since I was a child.
“There is no need to justify anything, I would like to say; I am dealing with a professional photographer who knows how to do his job. I like everything and it gratifies me.
“My mom always tells me as long as you can show your body take advantage because afterwards you can’t do it!”
Giorgi’s revealing outfits were not just reserved for Instagram, as she often wore clothes that caught the eyes when she was practising for big tennis events and her exit from the tour will bring down the curtain of one of the sport’s more colourful characters.
One of the most-read interviews in the history of Tennis365.com is a story on Giorgi’s revealing photographs that were posted on her social media platforms, but she also enjoyed some fine moments on the court.
Her finest moment will be her win at the WTA 1000 event in Canada in 2021, with her power-packed hitting from the back of the court allowing her to pick up an impressive 16 wins against top ten opponents over the course of her career. The last of those came against Ons Jabeur on the grass at Eastbourne last year.
We have not heard the last of Giorgi as even if she doesn’t play competitive tennis again, her Instagram followers will be waiting for the next set of eye-catching images to be posted on her account.
If tennis is in her past, Giorgi will have more time to become a full-time fashion influencer.
