Manuela Maleeva Country (sports) Bulgaria Switzerland Residence La Tour-de-Peilz , SwitzerlandHeight 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Turned pro 1982 Retired February 1994 Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Prize money $3,244,811 Career record 475–187 Career titles 19 Highest ranking No. 3 (4 February 1985) Australian Open QF (1985, 1992, 1994) French Open QF (1985, 1987, 1989, 1990) Wimbledon QF (1984) US Open SF (1992, 1993) Career record 129–131 Career titles 4 (1 ITF) Highest ranking No. 11 (2 August 1993) Australian Open 3R (1985, 1991, 1992, 1994) French Open QF (1986) Wimbledon 3R (1993) US Open 2R (1985, 1989) Last updated on: February 17, 2008.
Manuela Georgieva Maleeva-Fragniere (Bulgarian : Мануела Георгиева Малеева ) (born 14 February 1967) is a Bulgarian former professional tennis player. She played on the Women's Tennis Association tour between 1982 and 1994. Maleeva also sometimes played for Switzerland.
Biography
Maleeva was born in Sofia , the oldest of the three children of Yulia Berberyan and Georgi Maleev. Her mother, who came from an Armenian family that found refuge in Bulgaria after the 1896 Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Empire , was the best Bulgarian tennis player in the 1960s. After she retired from professional tennis in the 1970s, Berberyan started a coaching career. She coached all three of her daughters, Manuela, Katerina , and Magdalena , each of whom became WTA top ten players.
In 1982, Maleeva won the junior French Open . Later that year, she made her debut on the senior tour and ended the year ranked in the top 200.
In 1984, Maleeva won five tournaments and recorded wins over Chris Evert , Hana Mandlíková , Helena Suková , Claudia Kohde-Kilsch , Wendy Turnbull , Kathy Jordan , and Zina Garrison Jackson . After winning the tournament in Indianapolis , Maleeva rose to World No. 3 in the rankings. Once in the top ten, she did not leave it until 1992. Also in 1984, Maleeva won her only Grand Slam title – in mixed doubles at the US Open with American Tom Gullikson .
In 1988, Maleeva won a bronze medal in singles at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul .
In 1992 and 1993, Maleeva registered her all-time best achievement in Grand Slam singles competition when she reached the semifinals of the US Open both years (in 1992 after beating her sister, Magdalena, in the quarterfinals).
In 1994, Maleeva retired from professional tennis.
During her 12-year career, Maleeva won 19 WTA Tour singles titles, four doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title. She teamed with Jakob Hlasek to help Switzerland win the Hopman Cup in 1992 and, while playing for Bulgaria, twice reached the semifinals of Fed Cup (1985 and 1987).
Maleeva has been married since 1987 to former Swiss tennis player François Fragniere . They live near Lausanne and have two girls and a boy.
Grand Slam finals
Mixed Doubles: 1 (1 title, 0 runner-ups)
Titles (23)
Singles (19)
Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championship (0)
Tier I (1)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (3)
Tier IV (3)
Tier V (4)
VS (8)
No.
Date
Tournament
Surface
Opponent in Final
Score in Final
1.
7 May 1984
Lugano, Switzerland
Clay
Iva Budařová
6–1, 6–1
2.
21 May 1984
Perugia, Italy
Clay
Chris Evert
6–3, 6–3
3.
6 August 1984
Indianapolis, USA (US Clay Courts)
Clay
Lisa Bonder
6–4, 6–3
4.
12 November 1984
Tokyo, Japan (Lion's Cup)
Carpet (i)
Hana Mandlíková
6–1, 1–6, 6–4
5.
10 December 1984
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
6–0, 6–1
6.
9 December 1985
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Bonnie Gadusek
7–6(2), 3–6, 7–5
7.
30 March 1987
Charleston, USA
Clay
Raffaella Reggi
5–7, 6–2, 6–3
8.
24 August 1987
Mahwah, USA
Hard
Sylvia Hanika
6–2, 6–2
9.
29 February 1988
Wichita, USA
Hard (i)
Sylvia Hanika
7–6(5), 7–5
10.
12 September 1988
Phoenix, USA
Hard
Dinky Van Rensburg
6–3, 4–6, 6–2
11.
12 March 1989
Indian Wells, USA
Hard
Jenny Byrne
6–4, 6–1
12.
22 May 1989
Geneva, Switzerland
Clay
Conchita Martínez
6–4, 6–0
13.
11 February 1991
Linz, Austria
Carpet (i)
Petra Langrová
6–4, 7–6(1)
14.
20 May 1991
Geneva, Switzerland
Clay
Helen Kelesi
6–3, 3–6, 6–3
15.
23 September 1991
Bayonne, France
Carpet (i)
Leila Meskhi
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
16.
28 September 1992
Bayonne, France
Carpet (i)
Nathalie Tauziat
6–7(4), 6–2, 6–3
17.
22 February 1993
Linz, Austria
Carpet (i)
Conchita Martínez
6–2, 1–0 retired
18.
4 October 1993
Zürich, Switzerland
Carpet (i)
Martina Navratilova
6–3, 7–6(1)
19.
7 February 1994
Osaka, Japan (Asian Open)
Carpet (i)
Iva Majoli
6–1, 4–6, 7–5
Doubles (4)
Legend (Doubles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championship (0)
Tier I (0)
Tier II (1)
Tier III (0)
Tier IV (0)
Tier V (1)
VS (2)
No.
Date
Tournament
Surface
Partner
Opponents in Final
Score in Final
1.
22 July 1985
Indianapolis, USA (US Clay Courts)
Clay
Katerina Maleeva
Penny Barg Mager Paula Smith
3–6, 6–3, 6–4
2.
6 July 1987
Knokke-Heist, Belgium
Clay
Bettina Bunge
Kathleen Horvath Marcella Mesker
4–6, 6–4, 6–4
3.
11 February 1991
Linz, Austria
Carpet (i)
Raffaella Reggi
Petra Langrová Radka Zrubáková
6–4, 1–6, 6–3
4.
5 April 1993
Amelia Island, USA
Clay
Leila Meskhi
Amanda Coetzer Inés Gorrochategui
3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-ups (25)
Singles (18)
Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championship (0)
Tier I (1)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (4)
Tier IV (2)
Tier V (0)
VS (11)
No.
Date
Tournament
Surface
Opponent in Final
Score in Final
1.
30 January 1984
Houston, USA
Carpet (i)
Hana Mandlíková
6–4, 6–2
2.
7 January 1985
Washington, D.C., USA
Carpet (i)
Martina Navratilova
6–3, 6–2
3.
20 May 1985
Lugano, Switzerland
Clay
Bonnie Gadusek
6–4, 6–2
4.
21 October 1985
Brighton, UK
Carpet (i)
Chris Evert
7–5, 6–3
5.
11 November 1985
Tokyo, Japan (Lion's Cup)
Carpet (i)
Chris Evert
7–5, 6–0
6.
19 May 1986
Lugano, Switzerland
Clay
Raffaella Reggi
5–7, 6–3, 7–6(6)
7.
9 June 1986
Birmingham, UK
Grass
Pam Shriver
6–2, 7–6(0)
8.
8 September 1986
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Steffi Graf
6–4, 6–2
9.
6 April 1987
Hilton Head Island, USA
Clay
Steffi Graf
6–4, 6–1
10.
18 May 1987
Geneva, Switzerland
Clay
Chris Evert
6–3, 4–6, 6–2
11.
14 September 1987
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Gabriela Sabatini
6–4, 7–6(6)
12.
17 October 1988
Zürich, Switzerland
Carpet (i)
Pam Shriver
6–3, 6–4
13.
24 October 1988
Brighton, UK
Carpet (i)
Steffi Graf
6–2, 6–0
14.
12 February 1990
Chicago, USA
Carpet (i)
Martina Navratilova
6–3, 6–2
15.
26 March 1990
San Antonio, USA
Hard
Monica Seles
6–4, 6–3
16.
6 August 1990
San Diego, USA
Hard
Steffi Graf
6–3, 6–2
17.
22 April 1991
Barcelona, Spain
Clay
Conchita Martínez
6–4, 6–1
18.
6 July 1992
Kitzbühel, Austria
Clay
Conchita Martínez
6–0, 3–6, 6–2
Doubles (7)
Legend (Doubles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championship (0)
Tier I (0)
Tier II (2)
Tier III (1)
Tier IV (1)
Tier V (0)
VS (3)
No.
Date
Tournament
Surface
Partner
Opponents in Final
Score in Final
1.
29 April 1985
Houston, USA
Clay
Helena Suková
Elise Burgin Martina Navratilova
6–1, 3–6, 6–3
2.
8 September 1986
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Katerina Maleeva
Bettina Bunge Steffi Graf
6–1, 6–7(4), 6–2
3.
14 September 1987
Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open)
Carpet (i)
Katerina Maleeva
Anne White Robin White
6–1, 6–2
4.
20 May 1991
Geneva, Switzerland
Clay
Cathy Caverzasio
Nicole Bradtke Elizabeth Sayers Smylie
6–1, 6–2
5.
8 February 1993
Osaka, Japan (Asian Open)
Carpet (i)
Magdalena Maleeva
Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland
6–1, 6–3
6.
19 April 1993
Barcelona, Spain
Clay
Magdalena Maleeva
Conchita Martínez Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
4–6, 6–1, 6–0
7.
26 July 1993
Stratton Mountain, USA
Hard
Mercedes Paz
Elizabeth Sayers Smylie Helena Suková
6–1, 6–2
Tournament
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
Career SR
Australian Open
3R
A
A
QF
NH
4R
A
A
A
2R
QF
4R
QF
0 / 7
French Open
2R
3R
4R
QF
3R
QF
3R
QF
QF
2R
3R
3R
A
0 / 12
Wimbledon
2R
2R
QF
4R
4R
2R
1R
A
1R
A
3R
3R
A
0 / 10
U.S. Open
3R
3R
1R
4R
QF
4R
QF
QF
QF
4R
SF
SF
A
0 / 12
SR
0 / 4
0 / 3
0 / 3
0 / 4
0 / 3
0 / 4
0 / 3
0 / 2
0 / 3
0 / 3
0 / 4
0 / 4
0 / 1
0 / 41
NH = tournament not held.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
See also
External links
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