A former tennis star who quit the sport to become a lingerie model, before being accused of tax evasion in Italy, has revealed she will make a dramatic return to the court. Camila Giorgi, 34, walked away from tennis in May 2024 to pursue her new career but told a fan on Instagram this week that she will pick up her racket again next year.
Return to Tennis
A 2018 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Giorgi has not played since the Miami Open in March 2024. She achieved a career-high ranking of No. 26 in the world in 2018. During a Q&A with fans on Instagram this week, Giorgi was asked: 'Will you come back to tournament tennis in the future?' To the surprise of tennis fans, she replied: 'Yes, in 2027.' Another fan asked: 'Are you sure you’ll come back to play on the WTA circuit? And if so, when?' She responded: 'Yes, in 2027.'
Tax Evasion Accusations
Her planned return comes after Giorgi was accused of tax evasion and not paying her rent in her native Italy just months after her retirement in 2024. The owner of a villa that Giorgi and her family had been renting in Calenzano, a town on the outskirts of Florence, alleged she had left with six months' rent outstanding and taken valuable items of furniture. Giorgi denied the accusations during an appearance on the Italian chat show Verissimo in October 2024, describing the claims as laughable. 'The house had no furniture and we always paid the rent,' she said. 'The news made me laugh.'
Denials and Explanations
Giorgi also poured cold water on suggestions that she had 'fled' to the US, adding: 'It was not an escape. I moved to America permanently with my parents.' She added that her retirement simply coincided with the conclusion of a probe by the Guardia di Finanza, an Italian law enforcement agency that deals with financial crime. Giorgi also insisted that any alleged gaps in her tax returns were down to a lawyer with whom she no longer had dealings. 'The problems with the tax authorities? My family did not know about them,' said Giorgi. 'They were created by outside people who managed me.'
Personal Life
Giorgi has two brothers, Leandro and Amadeus, but Antonela, their younger sister, tragically died in a car accident in Paris in 2011. Earlier this year, Giorgi married tennis player-turned-coach Andreas Ignacio Pasutti. The wedding took place just two days after she announced she was pregnant by sharing a video of her ultrasound. As well as modelling, Giorgi has dipped her toes into the world of broadcasting and was seen reporting from an ATP event in Buenos Aires in February 2025.
