A FORMER tennis star who quit to become a lingerie model has been forced to deny claims she ran away to evade tax authorities.
Camila Giorgi retired from the sport in May under mysterious circumstances.
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The Italian modelled alongside her tennis career and many believed she would pursue that line of work after quitting tennis.
But Giorgi was then accused of stealing antiques and failing to pay six months of rent before fleeing to the US.
According to investigations of the Florence Prosecutor’s Office, Giorgi and her family have several “gaps” regarding unsubmitted tax returns.
Her former landlord also made a series of claims alleging Giorgi had six months of unpaid rent, and that she had taken furniture with her upon her departure.
Giorgi’s lawyer Edmondo Tomaselli has now spoken out in her defence, explaining why she had to leave the country over the last few months.
He told Corriere del Veneto: “Camila Giorgi is in Rome. In recent months she has been away for professional reasons.
“In short, she has not run away at all, as some have claimed.
“It’s all just talk, no desire not to be found, just personal commitments.
“Her fans have always followed her through her Instagram page, she has never been unavailable.”
Earlier this month Giorgi, 32, shared photos from a trip to New York on social media, where she also announced her retirement months earlier.
A post read: “Please trust this Instagram for truthful information.
“To my lovely fans, I am happy to formally announce 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 future 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.”
Across her career, she competed in all four Grand Slams, with her highest finish being a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon six years ago.
Her highest singles ranking was 26 which she achieved in the same year she reached the Wimbledon quarters.
Three years ago she also reached the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics.
In March, she competed at the Miami Open where she lost to world No1 Iga Swiatek.
Giorgi also appears to have crossed over to social media modelling as he has often shared glam pics on Instagram where she boasts 734,000 followers.