(Seprember 6, 2024) FLUSHING, NY – Lyudmyla Kichenok was supposed to get married this week to Jelena Ostapenko’s coach, but a run at the US Open put an end to that. The No. 7 seeds won their first major title as a team beating Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-3 in the women’s doubles final on Friday. They did not drop a set the entire tournament.
Kichenok said she and Stas Khmarskiy have been engaged more than a year ago and planned to be married in New York.
“We decided, like, when we got here to New York, my boyfriend Stas, he checked where we can do it, because we got engaged, like, more than a year ago,” Kichenok said to media in her news conference. “We were figuring out all the things, where we can do that. And, yeah, he found a spot here and he just booked an appointment for Wednesday,” she said laughing.
“He told me that. I was, like, okay, yeah, let’s go. Just, you know, this procedure when you sign the papers, just to do that. Yeah, we actually set a date, but I had to play semifinals on Wednesday, and I said, okay, maybe next time.
“And, yeah, didn’t happen. But, yeah, we’re going to do it somewhere somehow.”
“I think it’s a good excuse to postpone it a bit,” Ostapenko said during the trophy presentation.”
The wedding plans are now up in the air Kickenok said: “I’m not sure. No plan yet. Maybe Las Vegas or in Europe somewhere.”
Kichenok dedicated the victory to her home country of Ukraine: “They are fighting really hard for our freedom right now and I just hope I can give them some encouragement,” she said, “and my heart is with them.”
