“This guy is such a di*khead”- Ben Shelton gets labeled “disrespectful little jerk” as snippets of him mouthing an affirmation during Australian Open goes viral following a heartbreaking loss

Adrian Mannarino beat Ben Shelton 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of 2024 Australian Open.

“This guy is such a di*khead”- Ben Shelton gets labeled “disrespectful little jerk” as snippets of him mouthing an affirmation during Australian Open goes viral following a heartbreaking loss

Ben Shelton (Sources: screengrab/Nine's Wide World of Sports)

American youngster Ben Shelton is being labeled a ‘disrespectful’ player after his recent antics at the 2024 Australian Open. It has also opened up talks about the controversial exchange between him and Novak Djokovic during and after their match at the 2023 US Open, which actually made one of Shelton’s celebrations extremely famous. 

In a video clip from Shelton’s match against Adrian Mannarino in the third round of the Australian Open that is currently circulating on the internet, he can be seen mouthing the words “I’m too tough. I’m too tough” after winning a point. Well, it did not age well for the youngster, as he ended up losing the match in five sets. 

YouTube video

Fans have started trolling the American after the incident and many have started talking about his feud with Novak Djokovic during and after their match in the US Open semifinal. Shelton was clearly very aggressive and disrespectful towards the Serbian during the match, as he was shouting at his face every time he won a point. 

FS Video

Needless to say, Novak Djokovic is not one to tolerate stuff like this and he got his revenge by pulling off a ‘hang up’ celebration after defeating him in three sets. To put things in context, Ben Shelton had done a ‘Dial in’ celebration after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals, and Djokovic did the exact opposite of that to mock the youngster. 

In one of the press conferences of the 2024 Australian Open, Nole revealed his intention behind copying Shelton’s celebration.

It was a reaction against him, he did not behave properly, with respect, on court, and before the match. If anyone one places himself in the unsportsmanlike zone, I react. 
Djokovic

Fans react to Ben Shelton’s loss against Adrian Mannarino

Ben Shelton was trolled heavily on social media after a video of him mouthing those words surfaced on the internet. Fans are calling him a disrespectful youngster who often overestimates himself.

Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton (Source: On Running)

Fans point out his poor form in recent tournaments. In fact, since reaching the semifinals of the US Open, none of his other performances have been even nearly as significant. 

“He’s so annoying. Just rubs me the wrong way. I had hoped he might learn something after getting schooled by joker,” wrote a particular fan. 

Many fans said that he should talk less and focus more on his performance. The American will take part in the Indian Wells and the Miami Open next. The youngster must perform well in the upcoming tournaments to stop these trolls. 

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