US Open 2024: Lyudmyla Kichenok postpones wedding, then wins Grand Slam doubles title with Jelena Ostapenko

Lyudmyla Kichenok won the women’s doubles final at the US Open, partnering Yelena Ostapenko, just two days after postponing her wedding to compete in New York.

Ukrainian Kichenok was due to marry her partner Stas Khmarsky this week, but the wedding failed in the semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

They postponed the ceremony and she and Ostapenko then reached Friday’s final, where they defeated Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai 6-4 6-3.

“My boyfriend could actually be my husband. We were supposed to get married on Wednesday, but that didn’t happen,” Kichenok said.

“We had an appointment to get married, but I played the semi-final.

“That was a little more important.”

Kichenok and Ostapenko, who has Khmarsky on her coaching team, did not lose a single set en route to their first joint major title.