WATCH: Ben Shelton hits himself in the head with his racket against Sebastian Korda at the Shanghai Masters

He raced to hit a forehand and unintentionally bumped the racket on his head.

WATCH: Ben Shelton hits himself in the head with his racket against Sebastian Korda at the Shanghai Masters

Ben Shelton getting hit with the racket in the match against Sebastian Korda. (Screengrab from X via Tennis TV)

During the quarterfinal clash against Sebastian Korda at the Shanghai Masters, Ben Shelton accidentally hit himself on his head with his tennis racket. In a tough match against his fellow American, Shelton, Korda won with a final score of 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6). This was the first all-American ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final since 2017.

Shelton was down a break in the final set. He raced to hit a forehand and unintentionally bumped the racket on his head. Concern was expressed by onlookers as well as Shelton’s father, Bryan Shelton. Shelton was forced to fall to the ground in pain.

YouTube video

Although he was clearly in pain he refused to get any medical help. Korda’s serve caused a moment of fear, but Ben Shelton, demonstrating both toughness and drive, shrugged it off and resumed the match.

FS Video

Shelton’s decision to refuse medical assistance generated questions but he kept playing determinately. He not only maintained his calm after returning to the court, but he also broke Sebastian Korda‘s serve to tie the match at 4-4. The 19th seed’s dedication and competitive spirit were on display as he overcame the physical pain.

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Shelton creates controversy with his phone call celebration

Ben Shelton defeated Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters. After his win, he did his famous ‘phone call’ celebration, which has sparked much discussion lately. This celebration first gained notice when he beat Frances Tiafoe in the US Open final. Many tennis fans found his actions impolite, leading to backlash on social media.

Ben Shelton doing his 'phone call' celebration.
Ben Shelton doing his ‘phone call’ celebration (via Open Source from X)

In his next-round match against Novak Djokovic, in the semi-finals, he lost in straight sets to the Serbian legend. The Serbian, in his sassy move, copied Shelton’s celebration fueling the controversy. In his post-match conference, Shelton responded to Djokovic’s celebration saying that he was flattered by his imitation.

However, Djokovic had a different perspective. He said he copied it because he found it ‘cool’. What’s more, some of Djokovic’s supporters believed that his decision was influenced by Shelton’s unsportsmanlike behavior during the match.

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