“I want this guy to know,” Ben Shelton talks about his ‘biggest’ career match against Novak Djokovic at the US Open 2023 

Ben Shelton recalls his reactions before facing Djokovic

“I want this guy to know,” Ben Shelton talks about his ‘biggest’ career match against Novak Djokovic at the US Open 2023 

America was proud when young Ben Shelton made it to the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open. He became the youngest player to reach the semifinals where he played Novak Djokovic. The 20-year-old faced an uphill battle playing the world number 1 where he lost the match in straight sets. The final score was 6-3,6-2, 7-6(4).

“Okay, I may not win this match. But I want this guy to know—I want the crowd to know—that I’m here to play. And that I’m going to be back. When I woke up that morning, I felt the nervousness in my stomach, just knowing that it would be the biggest match I’ve ever played” said Ben Shelton in a recent GQ interview. The young gun made his presence known not only to Djokovic but also to the tennis world. 

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Fans did not expect an unseeded player to go that deep into the tournament. Shelton was one of the top 4 men of the US Open and proved that he is a future superstar and a force to be reckoned with. It is understandable for a player to feel nervous before playing Djokovic and the American knew the significance of the “biggest match” of his life.

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Related: Ben Shelton’s dad gets involved with Novak Djokovic for mocking his son’s celebration at the US Open

Ben Shelton’s father Bryan Shelton shocked about Djokovic’s celebration

Novak Djokovic celebrating
Novak Djokovic celebrating (Via The SportsRush)

Ben Shelton has made his appearance noteworthy by his iconic phone call celebration which was used on him by Djokovic after winning the match. In another interview by GQ, American Ben Shelton’s father Bryan Shelton commented on Djokovic for copying his son’s iconic phone call celebration. “It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben. It was to mock him,” said Bryan Shelton. Every athlete will retort to their opponent in their own style and as Virat Kohli said “ If you can give it, you gotta take it. Otherwise don’t give it”.

The American had made his father proud by achieving a lot since his poor run at the Australian Open. He has more ahead in the future and fans are excited to witness the career of the youngster unfold. Fans believe that the actual victory lies not in defeating them, but in standing and facing big challenges that daunt even the big names. 

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