Elena Pampoulova

Elena Pampoulova (also Elena Wagner, Elena Pampoulova-Bergomi, Bulgarian: Елена Пампулова, 17 May 1972 – 19 April 2023) was a Bulgarian tennis player. She has won one singles and three WTA doubles titles.

Elena Pampoulova
Елена Пампулова
Elena Wagner (2006)
Country (sports) Bulgaria (1972–1996)
 Germany (1997–2001)
Born(1972-05-17)17 May 1972
Sofia, Bulgaria
Died19 April 2023(2023-04-19) (aged 50)
Turned pro1988
Retired2001
Prize moneyUS$ 704,882
Singles
Career record243–179 (57.6%)
Career titles1 WTA, 12 ITF
Highest ranking62 (9 September 1996)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open2R (1990, 1998, 1999)
French Open2R (1990, 1998, 1999)
Wimbledon3R (1999)
US Open3R (1997)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games1R (1992)
Doubles
Career record163–146 (52.8%)
Career titles3 WTA, 8 ITF
Highest ranking38 (23 September 1996)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open2R (1995, 1998)
French Open3R (1990, 1996, 1999)
Wimbledon2R (1997)
US Open2R (1995)
Mixed doubles
Career record0–1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open1R (1997)
Team competitions
Fed Cup8–8 (50.0%)
(singles 5–6; doubles 3-2)

Her professional tennis career spanned from 1988 to 2001. Pampoulova's career-high singles ranking is world No. 62, her career-high doubles ranking is No. 38, both achieved in September 1996.

Tennis career

Pampoulova played for Bulgaria and the Bulgaria Fed Cup team from 1988 to 1992. Pampoulova was one of only three players to represent Bulgaria in tennis at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona (together with Katerina Maleeva and Magdalena Maleeva).

From 1997 to 1999, Elena played for the Germany Fed Cup team. She won 13 career titles in singles (one WTA) and 11 titles in doubles (three of them from WTA Tour).

Her first tennis coach was her own mother, Bulgarian tennis player Lubka Radkova. Elena's father, Emilian Pampoulov, is also a tennis player.

Personal life

On 11 July 2006, Pampoulova married her long-time boyfriend, Swiss banker Christian Bergomi. Their son Alex was born in early 2008. The couple lived in Switzerland,[1] where Elena was an asset manager.[2] In June 2022 she was found guilty of money laundering offences together with Credit Suisse and three other defendants. Prior to the trial, Credit Suisse unreservedly rejected as meritless all allegations raised against her and [was] convinced that she [was] innocent.[3] Both the bank and Pampoulova announced their intentions to appeal the court decision.[4]

Pampoulova died on 19 April 2023, at the age of 50.[5]

WTA career finals

Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner–up)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
Tier I tournaments (0–0)
Tier II tournaments (0–0)
Tier III tournaments (0–0)
Tier IV tournaments (1–1)
Tier V tournaments (0–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–0)
Clay (0–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Nov 1994 Surabaya, Indonesia Tier IV Hard Japan Ai Sugiyama 2–6, 6–0 ret.
Loss 1–1 Aug 1998 Sopot, Poland Tier IV Clay Slovakia Henrieta Nagyová 3–6, 7–5, 1–6

Doubles: 8 (3 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
Tier I tournaments (0–0)
Tier II tournaments (0–0)
Tier III tournaments (1–0)
Tier IV tournaments (2–3)
Tier V tournaments (0–2)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Clay (3–4)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Aug 1989 Sofia, Bulgaria Tier V Clay West Germany Silke Meier Italy Laura Garrone
Italy Laura Golarsa
4–6, 5–7
Loss 0–2 Sep 1989 Athens, Greece Tier V Clay West Germany Silke Meier Italy Sandra Cecchini
Argentina Patricia Tarabini
6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Loss 0–3 Sep 1996 Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Tier IV Clay Czech Republic Eva Martincová Slovakia Karina Habšudová
Czech Republic Helena Suková
6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Win 1–3 Sep 1996 Warsaw, Poland Tier III Clay Ukraine Olga Lugina France Alexandra Fusai
Italy Laura Garrone
1–6, 6–4, 7–5
Loss 1–4 Jan 1997 Auckland, New Zealand Tier IV Hard Poland Aleksandra Olsza Slovakia Janette Husárová
Belgium Dominique Monami
2–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6
Loss 1–5 Apr 1997 Budapest, Hungary Tier IV Clay Czech Republic Eva Martincová South Africa Amanda Coetzer
France Alexandra Fusai
3–6, 1–6
Win 2–5 Jul 1998 Palermo, Italy Tier IV Clay Bulgaria Pavlina Nola Austria Barbara Schett
Switzerland Patty Schnyder
6–4, 6–2
Win 3–5 Aug 1999 Knokke-Heist, Belgium Tier IV Clay Czech Republic Eva Martincová Russia Evgenia Kulikovskaya
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sandra Načuk
3–6, 6–3, 6–3

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 14 (12 titles, 2 runner–ups)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (6–0)
Clay (5–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (1–1)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Oct 1988 ITF Baden, Switzerland 10,000 Hard (i) Poland Katarzyna Nowak 6–1, 6–1
Win 2–0 Dec 1988 ITF Melbourne, Australia 10,000 Hard Mexico Xóchitl Escobedo 7–6(7–3), 6–2
Win 3–0 May 1989 ITF Athens, Greece 10,000 Clay Bulgaria Dora Rangelova 6–1, 6–7, 6–1
Win 4–0 Jul 1989 ITF Erlangen, West Germany 25,000 Clay West Germany Wiltrud Probst 6–1, 2–6, 6–3
Win 5–0 Aug 1989 ITF Budapest, Hungary 25,000 Clay West Germany Silke Frankl 6–4, 6–7, 6–0
Win 6–0 Jul 1990 ITF Vaihingen, West Germany 25,000 Clay Czechoslovakia Denisa Krajčovičová 6–3, 6–3
Loss 6–1 Nov 1992 ITF Nottingham, Great Britain 25,000 Carpet (i) Russia Elena Makarova 6–3, 2–6, 5–7
Loss 6–2 Mar 1994 ITF Reims, France 25,000 Clay (i) France Catherine Mothes-Jobkel 1–6, 2–6
Win 7–2 Oct 1994 ITF Jakarta, Indonesia 50,000 Clay Japan Hiromi Nagano 6–4, 6–1
Win 8–2 Dec 1995 ITF Limoges, France 50,000 Hard (i) Spain Paula Hermida 7–5, 6–3
Win 9–2 Feb 1996 ITF Redbridge, Great Britain 25,000 Hard (i) Japan Haruka Inoue 6–4, 6–4
Win 10–2 Mar 1996 ITF Southampton, Great Britain 50,000 Carpet (i) France Isabelle Demongeot 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
Win 11–2 Apr 1996 ITF Murcia, Spain 75,000 Clay Switzerland Patty Schnyder 6–4, 6–3
Win 12–2 Mar 1998 ITF Woodlands, United States 25,000 Hard Israel Anna Smashnova 2–6, 6–1, 7–5

Doubles: 13 (8 titles, 5 runner–ups)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (3–2)
Clay (3–2)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (2–1)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Dec 1988 ITF Melbourne, Australia 10,000 Hard Australia Kristin Godridge Australia Natalia Leipus
Australia Bernadette Randall
4–6, 7–6(7–5), 2–6
Win 1–1 Apr 1989 ITF Bari, Italy 10,000 Clay Austria Marion Maruska Hungary Andrea Noszály
West Germany Eva-Maria Schürhoff
w/o
Win 2–1 Jun 1992 ITF Modena, Italy 25,000 Clay Romania Ruxandra Dragomir France Alexandra Fusai
Switzerland Natalie Tschan
6–3, 7–6(7–5)
Loss 2–2 Jul 1992 ITF Vaihingen, Germany 25,000 Clay South Africa Joannette Kruger Czechoslovakia Eva Martincová
Czechoslovakia Pavlína Rajzlová
4–6, 0–6
Loss 2–3 Nov 1992 ITF Manchester, Great Britain 25,000 Carpet (i) Switzerland Natalie Tschan Russia Elena Likhovtseva
Russia Elena Makarova
3–6, 4–6
Win 3–3 Nov 1992 ITF Nottingham, Great Britain 25,000 Carpet (i) Belgium Els Callens Romania Ruxandra Dragomir
Romania Irina Spîrlea
7–6(7–3), 6–4
Win 4–3 Apr 1993 ITF Limoges, France 25,000 Carpet (i) Italy Silvia Farina Elia United States Stephanie Reece
United States Danielle Scott
6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–2
Win 5–3 Oct 1993 ITF Poitiers, France 25,000 Hard (i) Ukraine Olga Lugina Belgium Els Callens
Belgium Nancy Feber
6–4, 3–6, 6–3
Win 6–3 Dec 1994 ITF Cergy-Pontoise, France 50,000 Hard (i) France Angelique Olivier Czech Republic Kateřina Sisková
Czech Republic Eva Melicharová
6–1, 6–4
Win 7–3 Oct 1995 ITF Lakeland, United States 50,000 Hard Czech Republic Eva Martincová United States Sandra Cacic
Australia Tracey Morton-Rodgers
1–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss 7–4 Dec 1995 ITF Limoges, France 50,000 Hard (i) Czech Republic Eva Martincová Czech Republic Eva Melicharová
Czech Republic Helena Vildová
3–6, 6–0, 4–6
Win 8–4 Aug 1997 ITF Makarska, Croatia 75,000 Clay Ukraine Olga Lugina Russia Maria Goloviznina
Russia Evgenia Kulikovskaya
5–7, 7–5, 7–5
Loss 8–5 Apr 1998 ITF Prostějov, Czech Republic 75,000 Clay Ukraine Olga Lugina Czech Republic Lenka Cenková
Czech Republic Kateřina Sisková
4–6, 6–4, 4–6

Fed Cup

Elena Pampoulova debuted for the Bulgaria Fed Cup team in 1988. She has a 5–6 singles record and a 3–2 doubles record (8–8 overall).

Singles (5–6)

Edition Round Date Against Surface Opponent W/L Result
1988 World Group I QR 4 December 1988  Philippines Hard Philippines Sarah Rafael W 6–3, 6–2
R1 5 December 1988  Sweden Sweden Catarina Lindqvist L 5–7, 3–6
PO 6 December 1988  Malta Malta Carol Cassar-Torreggiani W 7–6(7–5), 6–3
PO 7 December 1988  Netherlands Netherlands Brenda Schultz-McCarthy L 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 5–7
1990 World Group I QR 21 July 1990  Philippines Hard Philippines Sarah Castillejo W 6–2, 6–0
R1 22 July 1990  Austria Austria Judith Wiesner L 0–6, 0–6
PO 23 July 1990  Norway Norway Amy Jonsson-Råholt W 6–4, 6–3
PO 24 July 1990  Brazil Brazil Cláudia Chabalgoity L 2–6, 6–2, 4–6
1992 World Group I play-offs PO 17 July 1992  Hungary Clay Hungary Anna Földényi L 4–6, 2–6
  Representing  Germany  
1999 World Group II QF 24 April 1999  Japan Clay Japan Shinobu Asagoe L 6–7(6–8), 1–6
25 April 1999 Japan Miho Saeki W 7–6(10–8), 6–3

Doubles (3–2)

Edition Round Date Partner Against Surface Opponents W/L Result
1988 World Group I R1 5 December 1988 Bulgaria Galia Angelova  Sweden Hard Sweden Jonna Jonerup
Sweden Maria Lindström
L 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 1–6
1990 World Group I PO 23 July 1990 Bulgaria Dora Rangelova  Norway Hard Norway Amy Jonsson-Råholt
Norway Astrid Sunde
W 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
1992 World Group I play-offs RPO 16 July 1992 Bulgaria Magdalena Maleeva  Romania Hard Romania Ruxandra Dragomir
Romania Irina Spîrlea
L 6–7(5–7), 2–6
RPO 17 July 1992 Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva  Hungary Hungary Virág Csurgó
Hungary Kata Györke
W 7–6(8–6), 4–6, 6–1
  Representing  Germany  
1997 World Group I QF 2 March 1997 Germany Barbara Rittner  Czech Republic Hard (I) Czech Republic Eva Martincová
Czech Republic Ludmila Richterová
W 7–6(7–3), 6–2

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament19881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001Career W–L
Australian Open A A 2R A A A A 1R A 1R 2R 2R A A 3–5
French Open A A 2R 1R A Q1 Q1 1R 1R 1R 2R 2R Q3 A 3–7
Wimbledon A A A 2R A A A 1R 1R A 1R 3R A A 3–5
US Open A A 1R A A A A 1R 2R 3R 1R 1R A A 3–6
Win–loss 0–0 0–0 2–3 1–2 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–4 1–3 2–3 2–4 4–4 0–0 0–0 12–23

Notes

  1. "Наша топтенисистка вдигна сватба в Швейцария". 11 July 2006. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2008.
  2. "Elena Bergomi". Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. "Statement in response to the announcement by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland". Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. "Credit Suisse found guilty over Bulgarian drug money failings". The Financial Times. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  5. "WTA mourns Elena Pampoulova". WTA. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
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