Bulgarian tennis player (1972–2023)
Elena Pampoulova (alsoElena Wagner,Elena Pampoulova-Bergomi,Bulgarian:Елена Пампулова; 17 May 1972 – 19 April 2023) was a Bulgarian tennis player. In her career, she won one singles title and three doubles titles on theWTA Tour.
Her tennis career spanned from 1988 to 2001. Pampoulova's career-high singles ranking is world No. 62, her best doubles ranking is No. 38, both achieved in September 1996.
Pampoulova played for Bulgaria and theBulgaria Fed Cup team from 1988 to 1992. Pampoulova was one of only three players to represent Bulgaria in tennis at the1992 Olympics inBarcelona (together withKaterina Maleeva andMagdalena Maleeva).
From 1997 to 1999, Elena played for theGermany Fed Cup team. She won 13 career titles in singles (one WTA Tour) 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.
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 ofmoney laundering offences together withCredit Suisse and three other defendants. Prior to the trial, Credit Suisseunreservedly 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 after an illness.[5]
Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner–up)
[edit]| Legend |
|---|
| Tier I | | Tier II | | Tier III | | Tier IV (1–1) |
| | Finals by surface |
|---|
| Hard (1–0) | | Clay (0–1) | | Grass (0–0) | | Carpet (0–0) |
|
Doubles: 8 (3 titles, 5 runner-ups)
[edit]| Legend |
|---|
| Tier II | | Tier III (1–0) | | Tier IV (2–3) | | Tier V (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 Open, Bulgaria | Tier V | Clay |  Silke Meier |  Laura Garrone
Laura Golarsa | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 0–2 | Sep 1989 | Athens Trophy, Greece | Tier V | Clay | Silke Meier | Sandra Cecchini
 Patricia Tarabini | 6–4, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 0–3 | Sep 1996 | Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic | Tier IV | Clay |  Eva Martincová |  Karina Habšudová
Helena Suková | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1–3 | Sep 1996 | Warsaw Open, Poland | Tier III | Clay |  Olga Lugina |  Alexandra Fusai
Laura Garrone | 1–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1–4 | Jan 1997 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Tier IV | Hard |  Aleksandra Olsza | Janette Husárová
 Dominique Monami | 2–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6 |
| Loss | 1–5 | Apr 1997 | Hungarian Ladies Open, Hungary | Tier IV | Clay | Eva Martincová |  Amanda Coetzer
Alexandra Fusai | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 2–5 | Jul 1998 | Palermo Ladies Open, Italy | Tier IV | Clay |  Pavlina Nola |  Barbara Schett
 Patty Schnyder | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 3–5 | Aug 1999 | Knokke-Heist, Belgium | Tier IV | Clay | Eva Martincová |  Evgenia Kulikovskaya
 Sandra Načuk | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
Singles: 14 (12 titles, 2 runner–ups)
[edit]| Legend |
|---|
| $75,000 tournaments | | $50,000 tournaments | | $25,000 tournaments | | $10,000 tournaments |
| | Finals by surface |
|---|
| Hard (6–0) | | Clay (5–1) | | Carpet (1–1) |
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Oct 1988 | ITF Baden, Switzerland | 10,000 | Hard (i) | Katarzyna Nowak | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Win | 2–0 | Dec 1988 | ITF Melbourne, Australia | 10,000 | Hard |  Xóchitl Escobedo | 7–6(7–3), 6–2 |
| Win | 3–0 | May 1989 | ITF Athens, Greece | 10,000 | Clay |  Dora Rangelova | 6–1, 6–7, 6–1 |
| Win | 4–0 | Jul 1989 | ITF Erlangen, West Germany | 25,000 | Clay | Wiltrud Probst | 6–1, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 5–0 | Aug 1989 | ITF Budapest, Hungary | 25,000 | Clay | Silke Frankl | 6–4, 6–7, 6–0 |
| Win | 6–0 | Jul 1990 | ITF Stuttgart-Vaihingen, West Germany | 25,000 | Clay | Denisa Krajčovičová | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 6–1 | Nov 1992 | ITF Nottingham, UK | 25,000 | Carpet (i) | Elena Makarova | 6–3, 2–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 6–2 | Mar 1994 | ITF Reims, France | 25,000 | Clay (i) | Catherine Mothes-Jobkel | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 7–2 | Oct 1994 | ITF Jakarta, Indonesia | 50,000 | Clay |  Hiromi Nagano | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 8–2 | Dec 1995 | Open de Limoges, France | 50,000 | Hard (i) |  Paula Hermida | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Win | 9–2 | Feb 1996 | ITF Redbridge, UK | 25,000 | Hard (i) | Haruka Inoue | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 10–2 | Mar 1996 | ITF Southampton, UK | 50,000 | Carpet (i) | Isabelle Demongeot | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 11–2 | Apr 1996 | ITF Murcia, Spain | 75,000 | Clay | Patty Schnyder | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 12–2 | Mar 1998 | ITF Woodlands, United States | 25,000 | Hard |  Anna Smashnova | 2–6, 6–1, 7–5 |
Doubles: 13 (8 titles, 5 runner–ups)
[edit]| Legend |
|---|
| $75,000 tournaments | | $50,000 tournaments | | $25,000 tournaments | | $10,000 tournaments |
| | Finals by surface |
|---|
| Hard (3–2) | | Clay (3–2) | | Carpet (2–1) |
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Dec 1988 | ITF Melbourne, Australia | 10,000 | Hard |  Kristin Godridge | Natalia Leipus
Bernadette Randall | 4–6, 7–6(7–5), 2–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Apr 1989 | ITF Bari, Italy | 10,000 | Clay | Marion Maruska |  Andrea Noszály
Eva-Maria Schürhoff | w/o |
| Win | 2–1 | Jun 1992 | ITF Modena, Italy | 25,000 | Clay |  Ruxandra Dragomir | Alexandra Fusai
Natalie Tschan | 6–3, 7–6(7–5) |
| Loss | 2–2 | Jul 1992 | ITF Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany | 25,000 | Clay |  Joannette Kruger | Eva Martincová
Pavlína Rajzlová | 4–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 2–3 | Nov 1992 | ITF Manchester, UK | 25,000 | Carpet (i) | Natalie Tschan | Elena Likhovtseva
Elena Makarova | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 3–3 | Nov 1992 | ITF Nottingham, UK | 25,000 | Carpet (i) | Els Callens | Ruxandra Dragomir
Irina Spîrlea | 7–6(7–3), 6–4 |
| Win | 4–3 | Apr 1993 | Open de Limoges, France | 25,000 | Carpet (i) | Silvia Farina Elia |  Stephanie Reece
Danielle Scott | 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–2 |
| Win | 5–3 | Oct 1993 | ITF Poitiers, France | 25,000 | Hard (i) | Olga Lugina | Els Callens
Nancy Feber | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 6–3 | Dec 1994 | ITF Cergy-Pontoise, France | 50,000 | Hard (i) | Angelique Olivier | Kateřina Sisková
Eva Melicharová | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Win | 7–3 | Oct 1995 | ITF Lakeland, United States | 50,000 | Hard | Eva Martincová | Sandra Cacic
Tracey Morton-Rodgers | 1–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 7–4 | Dec 1995 | Open de Limoges, France | 50,000 | Hard (i) | Eva Martincová | Eva Melicharová
Helena Vildová | 3–6, 6–0, 4–6 |
| Win | 8–4 | Aug 1997 | Makarska International, Croatia | 75,000 | Clay | Olga Lugina | Maria Goloviznina
Evgenia Kulikovskaya | 5–7, 7–5, 7–5 |
| Loss | 8–5 | Apr 1998 | ITF Prostějov, Czech Republic | 75,000 | Clay | Olga Lugina | Lenka Cenková
Kateřina Sisková | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
Elena Pampoulova debuted for theBulgaria Fed Cup team in 1988. She has a 5–6 singles record and a 3–2 doubles record (8–8 overall).
| Edition | Round | Date | Against | Surface | Opponent | W/L | Result |
|---|
| 1988 World Group I | QR | 4 December 1988 |  Philippines | Hard | Sarah Rafael | W | 6–3, 6–2 |
| R1 | 5 December 1988 |  Sweden | Catarina Lindqvist | L | 5–7, 3–6 |
| PO | 6 December 1988 |  Malta | Carol Cassar-Torreggiani | W | 7–6(7–5), 6–3 |
| PO | 7 December 1988 |  Netherlands | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | L | 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 5–7 |
| 1990 World Group I | QR | 21 July 1990 | Philippines | Hard | Sarah Castillejo | W | 6–2, 6–0 |
| R1 | 22 July 1990 | Austria | Judith Wiesner | L | 0–6, 0–6 |
| PO | 23 July 1990 |  Norway | Amy Jonsson-Råholt | W | 6–4, 6–3 |
| PO | 24 July 1990 |  Brazil | Cláudia Chabalgoity | L | 2–6, 6–2, 4–6 |
| 1992 World Group I play-offs | PO | 17 July 1992 | Hungary | Clay | Anna Földényi | L | 4–6, 2–6 |
| ↓ Representing Germany ↓ |
| 1999 World Group II | QF | 24 April 1999 | Japan | Clay | Shinobu Asagoe | L | 6–7(6–8), 1–6 |
| 25 April 1999 | Miho Saeki | W | 7–6(10–8), 6–3 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
[edit](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.
