Bulgarian tennis player Ivan Ivanov has reached the finalist stage in the 14th edition of the "Piotr Nurovski" award for the best young European athlete, marking a significant achievement for Bulgarian sports. This comes after Malena Zamfirova won the winter edition of the award, signifying a growing presence of Bulgarian athletes on the European stage. Due to high competition, six finalists were selected instead of the usual five from across Europe.

"I am thrilled that we have nominated a Bulgarian athlete for the second time, and once again our candidate is making it to the finals," commented Vesela Lecheva. "Ivan has already made his mark in history by winning both Wimbledon and US Open in one year. It’s heartening to see that his achievements are not only recognized in Bulgaria but also by other Olympic committees in Europe, which is a recognition for him and for Bulgaria."

The finalists for the 14th summer edition of the "Piotr Nurovski" award include:

  • Ivan Ivanov, tennis
  • Andrea Berisaj (Montenegro), taekwondo
  • Amalia Kovaliu (Romania), fencing
  • Ruby Evans (United Kingdom), artistic gymnastics
  • Ailika Inker Mozer (Estonia), athletics
  • Mariusa Teresa Scherzai (Slovenia), cycling

The voting for the winner will take place during the 55th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committee in Budapest, Hungary, on June 12. All finalists are invited to the gala dinner on the same day. The "Piotr Nurovski" award was established in 2011 and was expanded in 2016 to include both summer and winter sports. In 2025, Malena Zamfirova won the award in the winter sports category, impressing the jury with her speech. All finalists receive a plaque and a monetary award to invest in their training. The prize for first place is €15,000, for second place €8,000, for third place €5,000, and for fourth, fifth, and sixth places €3,000 each.