Katerina Maleeva

Katerina Maleeva was a Bulgarian tennis player who played professionally from 1984 to 1997. Maleeva was the world #6 in singles in July 1990 and achieved a career-best doubles ranking of #24 in the world in September 1994. She reached a Grand Slam doubles final and competed at three Olympic Games.

Maleeva started her career with appearances in the finals of the junior singles Grand Slams at the French and US Opens in 1984. She lost at the French Open to Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina but was victorious at the US Open with a straight set win against American Niurka Sodupe. Maleeva won 11 singles titles on the WTA Tour with her first one coming in April 1985 in Seabrook Island, South Carolina, where she beat the Romanian Grand Slam winner Virginia Ruzici. She made her début for Bulgaria in the Fed Cup in 1984 where she had a record of 20–9 in the singles and 9–13 in the doubles.

As a singles player Maleeva reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams during the early 1990s. In the doubles she was a two-time quarter-finalist at the French Open (1986, 1993), and reached the final of the 1994 US Open with partner Robin White of the United States.

Maleeva competed at three consecutive Olympic Games; 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, and 1996 Atlanta. At the 1988 Games she competed in the singles and was partnered by her sister Manuela in the doubles. She competed in the singles in Barcelona, and the doubles in Atlanta, where she was partnered by her other sister, Maggy.