KATERINA MALEEVA

Maybe for Katya it had been more difficult than any of the Maleevas. She was the sister of a tennis player who had already found her place among the tennis elite and nobody expected Katya to become a good player, too. However with much exercise and practise, Katerina managed to become one of the best tennis players of the millenium and the second Maleeva to do so.

As a young player Katerina wasn't very confident in herself. She said that she wasn't as talented as her little sister Magdalena and not that intelligent as her older one- Manuela. She admits that the good results came after a lot of hard, hard work.

Katerina Maleeva had won more than $2000000 in prize money, 11 WTA tourneys and many other events, with sister Manuela made Bulgaria a tennis power, reaching twice the semifinals of the Fed Cup. Though she didn't win so many tourneys as Manuela and earn that much money, Katerina did something no other Maleeva did - she had beaten Graf

In 1994 George Stoimenov and Katerina Maleeva got married. Currently they are living in Sofia, Bulgaria. Katerina gave birth to her child in Washington, D.C., USA and Niya immediately took American citizenship.

Many people feared that Katerina wanted to escape from Bulgaria. NO. Both she and Manuela will be Bulgarians forever and that goes as well for their children. "Though I have enough money I can't wake up and take the flight to Paris, that's why I decided about Niya's birthplace. I wanted Niya to be a citizen of the world."

In the family of Katerina and George there are rules that nobody breaks. George Stoimenov, a vice president of the Bulgarian tennis federation, is trusted and has the respect of his wife. Katerina intends to have more babies but she sais that she will be the one to upbring them. About Niya's future Katerina says that Niya will make her own choice - she may play tennis or do something else.

Katerina likes the evenings with her family. She likes music - Elton John, Allanis Morisette, Ani Lenox. She also likes to read books( Bulgarian writers mainly) and ride

Tourneys won:

1982- Junior tourneys in Lublyana and Vinkovzi(Jugoslavia)

1983-

1984-Junior tourney"Acropolis cup"(Greece); Lion (France); European Championships to 18 years; Us Open (Juniors)

1985-Seabruk Island (USA), Hilversum(USA); Suntori(Japan)

1987-Athens(Greece),Japan Open

1988-Indianapolis (USA);

1989-Bastad(Sweeden),Bayone(France), Indianapolis(USA

1990-Huston(USA)

1991-Toronto(CAN); Indianapolis(USA)

1994-Quebec City(CAN)

Tournyes finals:

1983-Junior tourneys in Bari, Milano, Avenire (Italy)

1984-Roland Garos-Junors; Orange Bowl(USA)

1985-The tourney of the Champions (USA)

1986-

1987-Sofia(Bulgaria)

1988-San Antonio (USA)

1989-

1990-Tampa (USA); Montreal(CAN); Toronto (CAN)

1991-Haka and others

Exhebition tourneys won:

1986-Landcaster (USA)

Doubles won:

1985-Indianapolis with Manuela Maleeva(USA)

Doubles finals:

1986-Landcaster(with M.J. Fernandez)

FED CUP Results:

1984-1/4 final; 1985-1/2 final; 1986-1/4 final; 1987-1/2 final; 1988-; 1989-1/4 final.

Tourneys semifinals:

1982- Balkantourist(Plovdiv, Bulgaria); 1984-European Championships to 18 years; 1984- Vitosha-New Otany (Bulgaria); 1985-; 1986- Geneve (Switzerland); 1987- Maywah (USA), Pan Pasific (Japan); 1988-Sofia(Bulgaria); 1989-; 1990-Stuttgart (Germany); 1991- Huston (USA); Tokio(Japan); 1992-Essen (Germany), Indian Wells (USA), Tokio(Japan), Leipzig (Germany), Indianapolis (USA) and others

Katerina's wins over:

M. Navratilova

S. Graf

H. Mandlikova

A. Sances

G. Sabatini

J. Capriati

M. Maleeva

M. Maleeva-Fragnier

Lindquist

Hanika

P. Shreiver

H. Sukova

B. Gadusek

Z. Garisson

J. Dury

J. Novotna

M.J. Fernandez

Gildemeister

M. Pas

Ruzice

S. Golesh

N. Tozia

N. Zvereva

Minter

E. Freizer

J. Vizner

Inue

Chekini

S. Hak

J. Halard

Redgi

Bolegraf

M.de Swart

M. Pierce

K. Martinez

N. Medvedeva