Manuela Maleeva

Manuela Maleeva
Мануела Малеева
Country  Bulgaria
 Switzerland
Residence La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland
Born 14 February 1967 (1967-02-14) (age 45)
Sofia, Bulgaria
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro 1982
Retired February 1994
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money $3,244,811
Singles
Career record 475–187
Career titles 19
Highest ranking No. 3 (4 February 1985)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open QF (1985, 1992, 1994)
French Open QF (1985, 1987, 1989, 1990)
Wimbledon QF (1984)
US Open SF (1992, 1993)
Doubles
Career record 129–131
Career titles 4 (1 ITF)
Highest ranking No. 11 (2 August 1993)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 3R (1985, 1991, 1992, 1994)
French Open QF (1986)
Wimbledon 3R (1993)
US Open 2R (1985, 1989)
Mixed Doubles
Career titles 1
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open W (1984)
Last updated on: 23 April 2011.
Olympic medal record
Women's Tennis
Competitor for
Bronze 1988 Seoul Women's Singles

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. Through her marriage Maleeva began representing Switzerland officially from January 1990 until her retirement in February 1994.

Contents

Biography

Maleeva was born in Sofia, the oldest of the three children of Yuliya Berberyan and Georgi Maleev. Her mother, who came from an Armenian family, 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 retired Swiss tennis player François Fragniere. They live near Lausanne and have two girls and a boy.


Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Mixed Doubles: 1 final (1 title, 0 runner-ups)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in final Score in final
Winner 1984 US Open Hard Tom Gullikson Elizabeth Smylie
John Fitzgerald
2–6, 7–5, 6–4

Olympic finals

Singles

Outcome Year Location Surface Opponent in final Score in final
Bronze 1988 Seoul Hard Tied DNP

Titles (23)

Singles (19)

Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Tour Championship (0)
Tier I (1)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (3)
Tier IV (3)
Tier V (4)
VS (8)
No. Date Location Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
1. 13 May 1984 Lugano, Switzerland Clay Iva Budařová 6–1, 6–1
2. 28 May 1984 Perugia, Italy Clay Chris Evert-Lloyd 6–3, 6–3
3. 11 August 1984 Indianapolis, USA (US Clay Courts) Clay Lisa Bonder 6–4, 6–3
4. 18 November 1984 Tokyo, Japan (Lion's Cup) Carpet (I) Hana Mandlíková 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
5. 16 December 1984 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Carpet (I) Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 6–0, 6–1
6. 15 December 1985 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Carpet (I) Bonnie Gadusek 7–6(2), 3–6, 7–5
7. 6 April 1987 Isle of Palms, USA Clay Raffaella Reggi 5–7, 6–2, 6–3
8. 30 August 1987 Mahwah, USA Hard Sylvia Hanika 1–6, 6–4, 6–1
9. 6 March 1988 Wichita, USA Hard (I) Sylvia Hanika 7–6(5), 7–5
10. 18 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. 28 May 1989 Geneva, Switzerland Clay Conchita Martínez 6–4, 6–0
13. 17 February 1991 Linz, Austria Carpet (I) Petra Langrová 6–4, 7–6(1)
14. 26 May 1991 Geneva, Switzerland Clay Helen Kelesi 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
15. 29 September 1991 Bayonne, France Carpet (I) Leila Meskhi 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
16. 4 October 1992 Bayonne, France Carpet (I) Nathalie Tauziat 6–7(4), 6–2, 6–3
17. 28 February 1993 Linz, Austria Carpet (I) Conchita Martínez 6–2, 1–0 ret.
18. 10 October 1993 Zürich, Switzerland Carpet (I) Martina Navratilova 6–3, 7–6(1)
19. 13 February 1994 Osaka, Japan (Asian Open) Carpet (I) Iva Majoli 6–1, 4–6, 7–5

Doubles (4)

No. Date Location Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1. 22 July 1985 Indianapolis, USA (US Clay Courts) Katerina Maleeva Penny Barg
Paula Smith
3–6, 6–3, 6–4
2. 12 July 1987 Knokke-Heist, Belgium Bettina Bunge Kathleen Horvath
Marcella Mesker
4–6, 6–4, 6–4
3. 17 February 1991 Linz, Austria Raffaella Reggi Petra Langrová
Radka Zrubáková
6–4, 1–6, 6–3
4. 11 April 1993 Amelia Island, USA Leila Meskhi Amanda Coetzer
Inés Gorrochategui
3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Runner-ups (25)

Singles (18)

Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Tour Championship (0)
Tier I (1)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (4)
Tier IV (2)
Tier V (0)
VS (11)
No. Date Location Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
1. 5 February 1984 Houston, USA Carpet (I) Hana Mandlíková 6–4, 6–2
2. 14 January 1985 Washington, DC, USA Carpet (I) Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–2
3. 26 May 1985 Lugano, Switzerland Clay Bonnie Gadusek 6–4, 6–2
4. 27 October 1985 Brighton, UK Carpet (I) Chris Evert-Lloyd 7–5, 6–3
5. 17 November 1985 Tokyo, Japan (Lion's Cup) Carpet (I) Chris Evert-Lloyd 7–5, 6–0
6. 25 May 1986 Lugano, Switzerland Clay Raffaella Reggi 5–7, 6–3, 7–6(6)
7. 15 June 1986 Birmingham, UK Grass Pam Shriver 6–2, 7–6(0)
8. 14 September 1986 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Carpet (I) Steffi Graf 6–4, 6–2
9. 12 April 1987 Hilton Head Island, USA Clay Steffi Graf 6–2, 4–6, 6-3
10. 24 May 1987 Geneva, Switzerland Clay Chris Evert 6–3, 4–6, 6–2
11. 20 September 1987 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Carpet (I) Gabriela Sabatini 6–4, 7–6(6)
12. 23 October 1988 Zürich, Switzerland Carpet (I) Pam Shriver 6–3, 6–4
13. 30 October 1988 Brighton, UK Carpet (I) Steffi Graf 6–2, 6–0
14. 18 February 1990 Chicago, USA Carpet (I) Martina Navratilova 6–3, 6–2
15. 1 April 1990 San Antonio, USA Hard Monica Seles 6–4, 6–3
16. 12 August 1990 San Diego, USA Hard Steffi Graf 6–3, 6–2
17. 28 April 1991 Barcelona, Spain Clay Conchita Martínez 6–4, 6–1
18. 12 July 1992 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Conchita Martínez 6–0, 3–6, 6–2

Doubles (7)

No. Date Location Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1. 5 May 1985 Houston, USA Helena Suková Elise Burgin
Martina Navratilova
6–1, 3–6, 6–3
2. 14 September 1986 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Katerina Maleeva Bettina Bunge
Steffi Graf
6–1, 6–7(4), 6–2
3. 20 September 1987 Tokyo, Japan (Pan Pacific Open) Katerina Maleeva Anne White
Robin White
6–1, 6–2
4. 26 May 1991 Geneva, Switzerland Cathy Caverzasio Nicole Provis
Elizabeth Smylie
6–1, 6–2
5. 14 February 1993 Osaka, Japan (Asian Open) Magdalena Maleeva Jana Novotná
Larisa Neiland
6–1, 6–3
6. 25 April 1993 Barcelona, Spain Magdalena Maleeva Conchita Martínez
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
4–6, 6–1, 6–0
7. 1 August 1993 Stratton Mountain, USA Mercedes Paz Elizabeth Smylie
Helena Suková
6–1, 6–2

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

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
US 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

See also

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Conny Kissling
Swiss Sportswoman of the Year
1993
Succeeded by
Vreni Schneider