Ben Shelton’s father criticizes Novak Djokovic for mocking phone call celebration after winning the US Open.

Father of American tennis player Ben Shelton upset with Novak Djokovic over mocking celebration

The father of American tennis player Ben Shelton expressed his displeasure with Novak Djokovic after the Serbian tennis star mocked Shelton’s phone call celebration following their match in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Shelton, 20, had used the celebration throughout the tournament as a way of expressing that he was “dialed in.” However, after being defeated by Djokovic in the semis, Shelton found himself on the receiving end of the gesture.

“I just love Ben’s celebration,” Djokovic said with a smile after the match. “I thought it was very original, and I copied him. I stole his celebration.” Shelton, although not having seen Djokovic’s gesture at the time, stated that he wouldn’t tell any player how to celebrate and took it as flattery.

“I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can celebrate or can’t celebrate. You know, I think if you win the match, you deserve to do whatever you want,” Shelton said. He added, “As a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so that’s all I have to say about that.”

However, Shelton’s father, Bryan Shelton, had a different interpretation of Djokovic’s actions. He believed that Djokovic wanted to mock his son, stating, “He wanted to mock Ben… He wanted to mock Ben at the end. It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben. It was to mock him. And that’s too bad, for that to come from such a great champion.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the celebration, Djokovic commended Shelton’s performance on the court, praising his dynamic play and powerful serve. Djokovic acknowledged the need to stay mentally focused and execute his game plan in order to secure the victory.

In the end, Djokovic went on to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final, winning his 24th Grand Slam title. With this victory, Djokovic solidified his status as one of the all-time greats in tennis.

The incident between Djokovic and Shelton highlights the competitive nature of professional tennis and the various ways players express themselves on and off the court. While some may view Djokovic’s gesture as playful imitation, others interpret it as a disrespectful mockery. Ultimately, it is up to the individual athletes to determine how they respond to such actions and decide how they want to celebrate their victories.

Original Story at www.foxnews.com – 2023-09-14 23:13:00