Camila Giorgi has been Wimbledon quarter-finalist and ranked as high as 26th in the world. (Instagram)
But the Italian athlete’s recent Instagram posts, in which she posed in lingerie over the festive season, has led some to condemn her “new aesthetic” on the platform.
Two weeks ago, Giorgi shared an image of herself in red lingerie from a recent photoshoot, wishing her followers a “Merry Christmas”. She followed up the post with two images of herself in a white corset and stockings, with the caption “Happy New Year.”
Giorgi, who is no stranger to the world of fashion influencing, has since been criticised by fans and journalists alike, many of whom questioned her posts.
“You’re better at taking pictures than playing tennis!” one commenter declared.
The images of Giorgi, who currently ranks as the world number 76 player, prompted other replies, including “why do you dress like that?” and “you are gorgeous but do you really need to expose your body in public to boost your confidence?”.
Italian journalist Stefano Cagelli wrote about the photos in an article for Tennis Fever.
“Far be it from us to do useless and anachronistic moralisms, everyone is free to do with their life (and therefore their social showcases) what they believe,” he said.
“But we would like to use the words that Maria Sharapova said a few days ago to talk about her last months on the courts: ‘I kept getting noticed, but not for my tennis. Then I realised that it was right to stop’.
“Here, if we were in Camila Giorgi’s place, we would begin to wonder if her goal is still to improve her tennis or if she has something else in mind. Nothing wrong with that, of course …”
UFC queen Ronda Rousey also stripped down for the SI swimsuit edition.
MMA fighter Ronda Rousey for Sports Illustrated.
Giorgi is one of many female sports stars who have dared to showcase their bodies on a public platform.
MMA fighter Ronda Rousey was previously criticised for posing in swimwear for the January 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated, while former Russian tennis player Sofya Zhuk received an “avalanche” of personal attacks over an image she posted online that exposed her back.
“I didn’t get quite what was the big deal,” Zhuk told RT at the time.
“I posted a photo, so what? When I share something, I’m not trying to send any message. I’m just posting a picture that I like.”
These incidents echo a longstanding battle female sports stars have been subject to regarding their public image.
In an interview in British Vogue, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said during her career people have claimed she was “born a guy” – “all because of my arms, or because I’m strong.”
Williams previously shut down a reporter in a 2018 press conference, after they asked whether she was “intimidated” by opponent Maria Sharapova’s “supermodel good looks”.
In recent years, elite female athletes have worked both within and outside their industries, promoting brands and female and sexual empowerment.
Last year, British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur released a campaign featuring Olympic-grade athletes practicing their sports while clad in undergarments.
The ad campaign captured gymnast Georgia-Mae Fenton, pole vaulter Alysha Newman, professional climber Sasha Digiulian and track star Queen Harrison Claye in lingerie ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“We are all navigating what femininity means in a post-MeToo world,” director Sarah Shotton said of the film, which was released at the beginning of 2020.
“To define what it means to be a woman in the 2020s, it’s challenging for all of us.”
Giorgi’s recent images are nothing new: her Instagram feed is filled with glamorous shots of her in fashionable ensembles.
However, it seems that even in 2021 the exposure of slightly more skin is still a polarising conversation.
