Ben Shelton’s response speaks volumes as Novak Djokovic copies his celebration
The 23-time Grand Slam champion wanted longer than anticipated to guide his spot within the closing as he went up a break within the third set earlier than Shelton drew degree and compelled a tiebreak. Djokovic nonetheless acquired issues executed in three units and he put his hand to his ear within the form of a telephone as he walked in direction of the online, gesturing that he was hanging up the telephone earlier than stepping into for the handshake.
But it was a frosty one because the world No 47’s look in direction of Djokovic spoke volumes. Shelton did not look amused after witnessing the Serb utilizing his celebration. It was a transfer the American used following his win over Aslan Karatsev within the third spherical and after he defeated tenth seed and compatriot Frances Tiafoe within the quarter-final.
The 20-year-old had additionally been quizzed over the celebration following his final match, confirming that he had beforehand used a landline telephone regardless of being so younger. “Yeah, so our home phone, when I was growing up in Atlanta, was one like that. If I wanted to talk to my friends or call their home phone, see if they wanted to go outside and throw a football, that was what I did,” he stated.
He additionally defined that the gesture meant that he was “dialled in” and that he had been impressed by another person. Shelton added: “The first time that I really saw it is I’m really close friends with a lot of track and field athletes who train at the University of Florida where I live in Gainesville.
“One specifically, Grant Holloway, who’s gained the World Championships I feel 3 times in a row now, that is form of his signature factor. He loves doing this when he wins, and quite a lot of different athletes on the crew form of began doing it after too. He simply gained the World Championships, so congrats to him. Give him a bit of shout-out after I do that. Something that connects me to my mates again house.”
Given Shelton’s connection to the celebration, it got here as no shock that the teen wasn’t greatest happy when Djokovic used it in opposition to him. The world No 47 had been enjoying within the largest match of his profession thus far after reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.