Viktoria Milvidskaia Belinsky

Viktoria Mikhailovna Milvidskaia Belinsky (née Milvidskaia, 20 April 1967) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. Her highest WTA rankings were 168 in singles and 145 in doubles.

Viktoria Milvidskaia Belinsky
Full nameViktoria Mikhailovna Milvidskaia
Country (sports) Soviet Union
 Russia
ResidenceNew York City and Miami, United States
Born (1967-04-20) 20 April 1967
Moscow, Soviet Union
Turned pro1983
Retired1994
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$71,427
Singles
Career record99–65
Career titles0 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 168 (28 September 1992)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenQ2 (1991)
French OpenQ1 (1991)
WimbledonQ2 (1992)
US Open2R (1992)
Doubles
Career record84–39
Career titles0 WTA, 14 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 145 (29 October 1990)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open1R (1991)
French Open1R (1991)
Medal record
Representing the  Soviet Union
Universiade
1987 Zagreb Doubles
Friendship Games
1984Women's singles
1984Women's doubles

Early life

Belinsky began playing tennis at the age of seven in Moscow. She played for the famous Spartak tennis club and her coaches were Alexandra Granaturova and Larisa Preobrazhenskaya.[1]

In 1983, she won the First International Tournament in Moscow which earned her the honour of Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class (equates to international champion). This was the start of her professional tennis career.

Professional career

She was a member of the USSR national tennis team (1983–1989) and represented the USSR in many different tournaments around the world. In 1984, she became the youngest USSR national champion. From 1984 to 1992, she was one of the top ten tennis players in the country.

Belinsky played in all Grand Slam tournaments. She had career wins over Manon Bollegraf, Tami Whitlinger, Sandra Wasserman, Nicole Arendt, Inés Gorrochategui, Lubomira Bacheva, Regina Maršíková, Andrea Strnadová, Sabine Hack, and Radka Bobková, and stopped playing in 1993 due to a knee injury. That same year, she moved to the United States.

Belinsky has an M.A. in physical education from the State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in Moscow. She received this degree May 1989.

From 2005 to 2008, Belinsky worked at the Russian NTV PLUS Tennis Channel. Her program was called, Tennis coach – is it nature or nurtured?. She interviewed many famous tennis coaches including: Wayne Bryan, Nick Bollettieri, Bud Collins, Robert Lansdorp, Carlos Rodriguez, Richard Williams. In addition, she has interviewed famous tennis players such as Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Anna Kournikova, Marat Safin and Janko Tipsarević. She worked as a sports broadcaster at the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008), and as a tennis analyst at Wimbledon, the US Open, the Davis Cup, and the Federation Cup.

In 2014, Belinsky worked as a coach for the USTA Player Development program[2] in New York City.

In 2015, she moved to Florida and began working as a private coach with professional junior tennis players.


Junior Grand Slam finals

Girls' doubles (1 runner-up)
Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1984 Wimbledon Championships Grass Larisa Savchenko Caroline Kuhlman
Stephanie Rehe		 3–6, 7–5, 4–6

ITF finals

Singles (1–4)
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner–up 1. 8 September 1986 Zagreb, Yugoslavia Hard Lilian Kelaidis 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Winner 2. 30 March 1987 Bari, Italy Clay Aida Halatian 1–6, 6–1, 7–5
Runner–up 3. 14 September 1987 Sofia, Bulgaria Clay Eugenia Maniokova 1–6, 0–6
Runner–up 4. 9 April 1990 Bari, Italy Clay Laura Golarsa 3–6, 4–6
Runner–up 5. 16 July 1990 Darmstadt, West Germany Clay Cristina Tessi 1–6, 6–7

Doubles (14–2)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. 30 December 1986 Chicago, United States Hard Natalia Egorova Elizabeth Evans
Jennifer Prah		 6–1, 6–1
Runner–up 2. 6 January 1986 El Paso, United States Clay Natasha Zvereva Cammy MacGregor
Cynthia MacGregor		 6–4, 3–6, 4–6
Winner 3. 8 September 1986 Zagreb, Yugoslavia Clay Natalia Egorova Renata Šašak
Karmen Škulj		 6–2, 6–3
Winner 4. 15 September 1986 Sofia, Bulgaria Clay Natalia Egorova Laura Golarsa
Marianne van der Torre		 6–0, 6–2
Winner 5. 30 March 1987 Bari, Italy Clay Aida Halatian Karin Moos
Sarah Sullivan		 6–2, 2–6, 7–6
Winner 6. 20 April 1987 Monviso, Italy Clay Aida Halatian Hana Fukárková
Iwona Kuczyńska		 7–5, 6–3
Winner 7. 28 September 1987 Bol, Croatia Clay Elena Brioukhovets Aida Halatian
Eugenia Maniokova		 6–4, 5–7, 6–4
Winner 8. 16 November 1987 Croyden, United Kingdom Carpet Paulette Moreno Eugenia Maniokova
Natalia Medvedeva		 6–4, 6–1
Winner 9. 12 June 1988 Modena, Italy Clay Eugenia Maniokova Yayuk Basuki
Ei Iida		 6–3, 4–6, 6–0
Winner 10. 19 June 1988 Salerno, Italy Clay Eugenia Maniokova Anne Aallonen
Yayuk Basuki		 1–6, 7–5, 6–4
Winner 11. 26 June 1988 Arezzo, Italy Clay Eugenia Maniokova Yayuk Basuki
Titia Wilmink		 0–6, 7–5, 6–1
Winner 12. 15 August 1988 Rebecq, Belgium Clay Elena Brioukhovets Ilana Berger
Anat Varon		 6–2, 6–2
Winner 13. 29 August 1988 Nivelles, Belgium Clay Elena Brioukhovets Réka Szikszay
Amy van Buuren		 1–6, 7–5, 6–1
Winner 14. 16 April 1990 Marsa, Malta Clay Anna Mirza Eva Bes
Silvia Ramón-Cortés		 6–2, 7–6
Runner–up 15. 30 July 1990 Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany Clay Agnese Blumberga Petra Holubová
Sylvia Štefková		 4–6, 4–6
Winner 16. 8 July 1991 Erlangen, Germany Clay Maja Živec-Škulj Louise Stacey
Angie Woolcock		 6–4, 6–4

Other finals

Singles
Outcome Year Championship Location Opponent Score
Winner 1984 USSR Tennis National Championship Tashkent, Soviet Union Oksana Lifanova 6–0, 6–4
Finalist 1981 European Junior Championships 14&U[3] Serramazzoni, Italy Manuela Maleeva 2–6, 4–6
Finalist 1987 USSR Tennis National Championship Tallinn, Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva 1–6, 2–6
Medal Date Tournament Location Opponent Score
Silver August 1984 1984 Friendship Games Katowice, Poland Elena Yelisieyenko 6–0, 6–4

Doubles
Outcome Year Championship Location Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1984 European Championship[4] Ostend, Belgium Natalia Egorova Isabelle Demongeot
Nathalie Tauziat		 2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Finalist 1981 European Junior Championships 14 & Under[5] Serramazzoni, Italy Irina Zvereva Manuela Maleeva
Katerina Maleeva		 3–6, 7–5, 1–6
Outcome Date Tournament Location Partner Opponents Score
Gold July 1987 1987 Universiade Games Zagreb, Yugoslavia Leila Meskhi Iva Budařová
Nora Bajchiková		 6–3, 6–4

References
  1. "How to Grow a Super-Athlete". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  2. "Player Development Home | Player Development". USTA. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  3. "European Junior Championship". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  4. "European junior Championships". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  5. "European Junior Championships". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
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