“He’s never gonna win anything in this sport ever” – Ben Shelton’s response of watching Novak Djokovic on TV only when he was a kid doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Ben Shelton was defeated in straight sets in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open.


“He’s never gonna win anything in this sport ever” – Ben Shelton’s response of watching Novak Djokovic on TV only when he was a kid doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Ben Shelton (Credits:USTA)

Ben Shelton’s incredible 2023 US Open run came to an end as he was defeated in the semifinals by Novak Djokovic. The second seed claimed a straight-sets victory to reach his fifth consecutive Grand Slam final. The American has earned a lot of recognition for his courageous run at the US Open, which included a couple of big wins.

However, Ben Shelton faced backlash following some misinterpretation during his post-match press conference. One of the reporters asked the youngster if he witnessed any Novak Djokovic matches on television, before his semifinal clash. His quotes were misinterpreted in such a way that the 20-year-old was portrayed to be overconfident about his chances.

YouTube video

In reality, Ben Shelton never made such a statement, and in fact, claimed that he did witness the Serbian’s matches back in his younger days.

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However, he did not want to get overawed by the situation of facing the former world number one in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open.

Related: “The maturity he shows at 20 is incredible!” – Carlos Alcaraz graciously gives time to fans moments after ‘tough’ loss to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open finals, Social media reacts

Ben Shelton faces unjust backlash after misinterpretation of his words

Ben Shelton (Source: 2023 US Open)
Ben Shelton (Source: 2023 US Open)

Ben Shelton has been a revelation during the past two weeks at the 2023 US Open. He defeated the likes of Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul in four sets on his way to the semifinals.

When asked if he saw Novak Djokovic matches on television in the past, Ben Shelton said, “I tried to go into the match with an open mind. When I watched him on TV, I was a little kid who was not even playing tennis yet. I think I am completely different person now, hence when I went on to the court, I was not really expecting anything. I watched a couple of tapes from his last few matches here, and I went into the match like I am playing against any other player.

However, his words were misinterpreted on social media, which is the reason why he received a lot of backlash from the fans.

https://twitter.com/G7G7G7/status/1700416887471874210
https://twitter.com/paulwally101/status/1700366088121237621

Ben Shelton was thoroughly outplayed in the opening two sets against Novak Djokovic. However, he gave it his all in the final set, where he pushed the Serbian to the tiebreaker. The second seed reigned supreme in the tiebreaker and claimed the victory in three sets. He will face Daniil Medvedev in the finals, who got the better of the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the other semifinals.

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