(New York) Kristina Mladenovic and her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang lost Friday in the women’s doubles final of the US Open to the Ukrainian-Latvian pair Lyudmyla Kichenok-Jelena Ostapenko (seeded No. 7) 6-4, 6-3.
The 31-year-old Frenchwoman was aiming for her seventh Grand Slam doubles title at a time when her singles career was collapsing.
Mladenovic has won two Majors partnering Caroline Garcia (2016 and 2022 French Open) and four partnering Timea Babos (2018 and 2020 Australian Open, 2019 and 2020 French Open). She has played five other Major finals.
PHOTO KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shuai Zhang and Kristina Mladenovic
With Zhang (35 years old), she played Roland-Garros last year, losing in the second round.
In singles, the old 10e world was 234e this fortnight at Flushing Meadows and has not won a Grand Slam match since Roland-Garros 2021.
Kichenok and Ostapenko had already reached the final of the Australian Open in January. They won their first Grand Slam title together, without having lost a single set during the tournament.