Jessica Pegula’s wedding gift: Congratulates Kichenok who postponed wedding for doubles final
WTASunday, 08 September 2024 at 02:00
Jessica Pegula sends gift to WTA star who postponed her wedding to play in US Open doubles final. Liudmila Kichenok partnered with former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to win their first Grand Slam doubles title together.
The Ukrainian revealed during the awards ceremony that she had planned her wedding for Wednesday, September 4, but had to postpone it to play in the tournament’s semifinals against the 10th seeds Chan Hao-ching and Veronika Kudermetova, securing a comfortable victory of 6-1, 6-2.
From wedding plans to Grand Slam glory
In the final, they faced the experienced Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic, defeating them 6-4, 6-3. In her acceptance speech, the 32-year-old player disclosed that she missed her own wedding that week while progressing through the draw: "Also my boyfriend, could be husband actually. Because we were supposed to get married this Wednesday but it didn’t happen!"
"What do you mean could be? It’s still on, right?" asked former world No. 4 Mary Joe Fernandez, who conducted the interviews at the awards ceremony.
"We had actually an appointment to get married this Wednesday but just because I was playing semi-finals."
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Kichenok received a standing ovation and was widely praised after the final for her dedication to the tournament. In an Instagram post, the US Open doubles champion shared a photo of the gift she received from Pegula, which appears to be a bottle of champagne: "I saw you were meant to get married on Wednesday! Congrats on a great tournament and enjoy your wedding!" read the note signed by Pegula.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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- Clearly not AI :-)
AceOfBase11-09-2026 - Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
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- Looks like tennis has become a part of the American Oligarchy. As usual, Pegula is given a cupcake draw. With all her money, they have to fixed the draws in her favor in order to raised the trophy.crissy09-09-2026
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- No one else would get away with this but these AMERCANS! It’s the US Open!! In America!! But sure, go off American ;)DaveyWavey08-09-2026
- WOW !!! Her comebacks have been intense. She's Baaaaack!
mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
- Here we go again…. Different rules for Americans! Especially THESE Americans. Yuck!DaveyWavey07-09-2026
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