Magdalena Maleeva is no stranger to success. Growing up, the Maleeva sisters were
three of Bulgaria’s top tennis players. In fact, Magdalena and her sisters, Katerina and
Manuela, combined for a staggering 40 WTA singles titles and each became WTA top-
six players throughout the course of their careers. Despite having to share the spotlight
with her talented sisters, Magdalena made a name for herself by becoming the
youngest national tennis champion of Bulgaria when she was just 13 years old. After 16
years on the court, Magdalena hung up her tennis racquet in 2005. Today, she devotes
her time to environmental conservation efforts while also acting as a partner at the
Maleeva Tennis Club.
Coached by their mother, Yuliya Berberyan, the Maleeva sisters were instrumental to
the rise of women’s tennis in Bulgaria. Due to the success of the Maleeva family,
Bulgaria won its first Olympic tennis medal, reached the semifinals of the Fed Cup, and
joined an elite group of countries who have placed a female tennis player in the WTA
top-10. The three sisters continue to serve as inspirations for young women in Bulgaria
through their partnership with the Maleeva Tennis Club, where athletes learn to build
their skills as aspiring professionals.
Magdalena’s successes on and off the court represent all the values that we as coaches
hope to convey to our athletes. She experienced early victories in her career and
continued to build upon that success through commitment, determination, passion, and
a drive for improvement. In the face of adversity, Magdalena also demonstrated true
resilience after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in 1998. She came back
from injury to rise to the top-20 in the WTA rankings and eventually win the Kremlin Cup in 2002.
At the WTCA, our goal is to create an environment where female tennis players have
the opportunity to learn lifelong lessons and values. Throughout her career, Magdalena
Maleeva exhibited strength, character, commitment, and grit. Attendees of the WTCA
Conference Paris will have the opportunity to hear Magdalena explain how these values
were developed throughout her time as a player. She will also share valuable education
on her knowledge of the game and the experiences that led to her many achievements
throughout her career.
A fierce passion for the game of tennis was evident every time Magdalena Maleeva took
the court. Join Magdalena at the WTCA Conference Paris so that we may cultivate this
passion to bring meaningful change to the sport of women’s tennis.