Sept 6, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) (right) and Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) with the US Open trophy after winning the Women's Doubles final on day twelve of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Newly-crowned U.S. Open women's doubles champion Lyudmyla Kichenok had plans to get married this week but revealed on Friday that her unexpected appearance in the latter stages of the Grand Slam forced a postponement.
Kichenok is engaged to fellow Ukrainian Stas Khmarsky, the coach of her doubles partner Jelena Ostapenko, and she made sure to include him in her speech during the on-court trophy presentation at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"Also my boyfriend, could be husband actually because we were supposed to get married this Wednesday but it didn't happen," said Kichenok.
"We had actually an appointment to get married this Wednesday but (had to postpone) just because I was playing in the semi-finals."
Former French Open singles champion Ostapenko, who along with Kichenok did not drop a set en route to winning their first Grand Slam doubles title as a team, felt a chance at a major title merited a change of wedding plans.
"It's a good excuse to postpone it a bit," said Ostapenko. "And now, win a U.S. Open and go get married, I think it's pretty great."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
