Manuela Maleeva


Manuela Georgieva Maleeva-Fragnière is a Bulgarian former professional tennis player. She played on the WTA Tour between 1982 and 1994. Through her marriage, Maleeva began representing Switzerland officially from January 1990 until her retirement in February 1994.

Biography

Maleeva-Fragnière was born in Sofia, the oldest of the three children of Georgi Maleev and Yuliya Berberyan. 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 a WTA top ten player.
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-Fragnière, won a bronze medal in singles at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
In 1992 and 1993, Maleeva-Fragnière registered her all-time best achievement in Grand Slam singles competition when she reached the semifinals of the US Open both years.
In 1994, Maleeva-Fragnière 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.
Maleeva married 1987 Swiss tennis coach François Fragnière. They lived in Blonay, Switzerland with two girls and a boy but divorced in 2007, after 20 years of marriage. Manuela Maleeva then moved with her children to La Tour-de-Peilz, not far from Lausanne.

Grand Slam finals

Mixed Doubles: 1 title

Olympics

Singles: 1 bronze medal

Maleeva-Fragnière lost in the semifinals to Gabriela Sabatini 1–6, 2–6. In 1988, there was no bronze medal play-off match; both beaten semifinal players received bronze medals.

WTA Tour finals

Singles (19–18)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Runner-up1.30 January 1984Houston, Unites StatesCarpet Hana Mandlíková4–6, 2–6
Winner1.7 May 1984Lugano, SwitzerlandClay Iva Budařová6–1, 6–1
Winner2.21 May 1984Perugia, ItalyClay Chris Evert6–3, 6–3
Winner3.6 August 1984Indianapolis, U.S.Clay Lisa Bonder6–4, 6–3
Winner4.12 November 1984Tokyo, JapanCarpet Hana Mandlíková6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Winner5.10 December 1984Tokyo, JapanCarpet Claudia Kohde-Kilsch3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up2.7 January 1985Washington, U.S.Carpet Martina Navratilova3–6, 2–6
Runner-up3.20 May 1985Lugano, SwitzerlandClay Bonnie Gadusek4–6, 2–6
Runner-up4.21 October 1985Brighton, EnglandCarpet Chris Evert5–7, 3–6
Runner-up5.11 November 1985Tokyo, JapanCarpet Chris Evert5–7, 0–6
Winner6.9 December 1985Tokyo, JapanCarpet Bonnie Gadusek7–6, 3–6, 7–5
Runner-up6.19 May 1986Lugano, SwitzerlandClay Raffaella Reggi7–5, 3–6, 6–7
Runner-up7.9 June 1986Birmingham, EnglandGrass Pam Shriver2–6, 6–7
Runner-up8.8 September 1986Tokyo, JapanCarpet Steffi Graf4–6, 2–6
Winner7.30 March 1987Wild Dunes, U.S.Clay Raffaella Reggi5–7, 6–2, 6–3
Runner-up9.6 April 1987Hilton Head, U.S.Clay Steffi Graf2–6, 6–4, 3–6
Runner-up10.18 May 1987Geneva, SwitzerlandClay Chris Evert3–6, 6–4, 2–6
Winner8.24 August 1987Mahwah, U.S.Hard Sylvia Hanika1–6, 6–4, 6–1
Runner-up11.14 September 1987Tokyo, JapanCarpet Gabriela Sabatini4–6, 6–7
Winner9.29 February 1988Wichita, U.S.Hard Sylvia Hanika7–6, 7–5
Winner10.12 September 1988Phoenix, U.S.Hard Dinky Van Rensburg6–3, 4–6, 6–2
Runner-up12.17 October 1988Zürich, SwitzerlandCarpet Pam Shriver3–6, 4–6
Runner-up13.24 October 1988Brighton, EnglandCarpet Steffi Graf2–6, 0–6
Winner11.12 March 1989Indian Wells, U.S.Hard Jenny Byrne6–4, 6–1
Winner12.22 May 1989Geneva, SwitzerlandClay Conchita Martínez6–4, 6–0
Runner-up14.12 February 1990Chicago, U.S.Carpet Martina Navratilova3–6, 2–6
Runner-up15.27 March 1990San Antonio, U.S.Hard Monica Seles4–6, 3–6
Runner-up16.6 August 1990San Diego, U.S.Hard Steffi Graf3–6, 2–6
Winner13.11 February 1991Linz, AustriaCarpet Petra Langrová6–4, 7–6
Runner-up17.22 April 1991Barcelona, SpainClay Conchita Martínez4–6, 1–6
Winner14.20 May 1991Geneva, SwitzerlandClay Helen Kelesi6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Winner15.23 September 1991Bayonne, FranceCarpet Leila Meskhi4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up18.6 July 1992Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Conchita Martínez0–6, 6–3, 2–6
Winner16.28 September 1992Bayonne, FranceCarpet Nathalie Tauziat6–7, 6–2, 6–3
Winner17.22 February 1993Linz, AustriaCarpet Conchita Martínez6–2, 1–0 ret.
Winner18.4 October 1993Zürich, SwitzerlandCarpet Martina Navratilova6–3, 7–6
Winner19.8 February 1994Osaka, JapanCarpet Iva Majoli6–1, 4–6, 7–5

Doubles (4–7)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Runner-up1.29 April 1985Houston, U.S.Clay Helena Suková Elise Burgin
Martina Navratilova		1–6, 6–3, 3–6
Winner1.22 July 1985Indianapolis, U.S.Clay Katerina Maleeva Penny Barg
Paula Smith		3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up2.8 September 1986Tokyo, JapanCarpet Katerina Maleeva Bettina Bunge
Steffi Graf		1–6, 7–6, 2–6
Winner2.6 July 1987Knokke, BelgiumClay Bettina Bunge Kathleen Horvath
Marcella Mesker		4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up3.14 September 1987Tokyo, JapanCarpet Katerina Maleeva Anne White
Robin White		1–6, 2–6
Winner3.11 February 1991Linz, AustriaCarpet Raffaella Reggi Petra Langrová
Radka Zrubáková		6–4, 1–6, 6–3
Runner-up4.20 May 1991Geneva, SwitzerlandClay Cathy Caverzasio Nicole Bradtke
Elizabeth Smylie		1–6, 2–6
Runner-up5.9 February 1993Osaka, JapanCarpet Magdalena Maleeva Jana Novotná
Larisa Neiland		1–6, 3–6
Winner4.5 April 1993Amelia Island, U.S.Clay Leila Meskhi Amanda Coetzer
Inés Gorrochategui		3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up6.19 April 1993Barcelona, SpainClay Magdalena Maleeva Conchita Martínez
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario		6–4, 1–6, 0–6
Runner-up7.26 July 1993Stratton Mountain, U.S.Hard Mercedes Paz Elizabeth Smylie
Helena Suková		1–6, 2–6

ITF finals

Singles (2–2)

Doubles (3–0)

Fed Cup

Manuela Maleeva debuted for the Bulgaria Fed Cup team in 1983. She has a 21–5 singles record and a 7–10 doubles record.

Singles (21–5)

Doubles (7–10)

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Maleeva's win-loss record against certain players who have been ranked world No. 10 or higher is as follows:
Players who have been ranked world No. 1 are in boldface.