Helen Kelesi
Biography
Helen Kelesi (born November 15, 1969 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian former professional tennis player. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 13 on November 20, 1989 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 26 on April 22, 1991. She was a regular fixture in the top 25 from 1986 to 1991. She won singles titles in two tour events, the 1986 Japan Open and the 1988 Citta de Taranto, and at the French Open, she was a quarterfinalist in 1988 (losing to Gabriela Sabatini) and 1989 (losing to Mary Joe Fernández). During her time on the WTA Tour, Kelesi recorded wins over Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Conchita Martínez, Jana Novotná, Manuela Maleeva, Helena Suková and Pam Shriver. She was Tennis Canada singles player of the year four times (1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990).
Kelesi's professional career came to an end in 1995 when a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball was discovered following months of headaches, dizziness and vision problems. Numerous operations followed over the years, Kelesi successfully recovered and began coaching young children in Canada in the late 1990s. She also became a part-time tennis journalist and commentator.
Significant finals
WTA Tier I finals
Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1990 | Rome | Clay | Monica Seles (YUG) | Laura Garrone (ITA) Laura Golarsa (ITA) |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1990 | Montréal | Hard | Raffaella Reggi (ITA) | Betsy Nagelsen (USA) Gabriela Sabatini (ARG) |
6–3, 2–6, 2–6 |