WATCH: “Humbled the kid real quick” – Novak Djokovic ice cold ‘dialed in’ celebration irks Ben Shelton, Social media goes berserk
Novak Djokovic reached the 36th Grand Slam final of his career after defeating Ben Shelton in the US Open semifinal.
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Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton (Credits Imago)
Novak Djokovic totally dominated 20-year-old American tennis player Ben Shelton in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open to reach the finals with ease. This will be the 36th Grand Slam final of the Serb’s career, the highest played by a player in any era (male or female). He will now face the winner of the other semifinal between Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in the final, where he will fight for a potential 24th Grand Slam to add to his tally.
The World No. 2 is pretty well known in the world of tennis for his zestful celebrations and he showed that again after defeating Ben Shelton. As he emerged victorious after the third set tie-break, the Serb was seen doing the same celebration that Ben Shelton did after defeating Frances Tiafoe to qualify for the semifinal.
Although Novak is always respectful towards opponents, he never misses an opportunity to add these subtle taunts. Moreover, in this case, Ben Shelton was often seen provocating Novak Djokovic by shouting at his face after winning points. Thus, it was somewhat fitting for Djokovic to give such a fitting response after winning the match. In return, Ben Shelton also gave him a cold handshake.
However, the 20-year-old youngster deserves praise for his efforts in the match. He was totally dominated by the Serb in the first two sets, but he gave it his all in the third set, as it was do-or-die for him. Despite being down on multiple occasions, Shelton never gave up and somehow took the set to the tie-breakers where the very experienced Novak Djokovic bagged the win.
Watch Novak Djokovic ‘dialed in’ celebration below:
Twitter reacts as Novak Djokovic copies Ben Shelton’s celebration after beating him
Fans on Twitter went berserk after Novak Djokovic copied Ben Shelton’s celebration after his win over Frances Tiafoe. He indicated to dial in or call someone, which was exactly similar to what the 20-year-old had done.
Most of the fans supported Novak for his action, as Ben Shelton was seen screaming in his face at several points. Many fans pointed out that Shelton must be ‘humbled’ at this young age and taught that if he provoked others, he might get provoked as well, which was exactly what the 36-year-old did.
Novak Djokovic is now very close to his potential 24th Grand Slam, which he came very close to winning in the 2023 Wimbledon Open. He unfortunately lost that final to Carlos Alcaraz and will hope that history does not repeat itself on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He might get a chance to avenge his loss in the Wimbledon final if Carlos Alcaraz makes it to the final as well. If it so happens, it will be somewhat poetic justice for the Serb.
In case you missed it:
- Proud Coco Gauff backs herself to win her first Grand Slam title
- Unstoppable Novak Djokovic hangs up on Ben Shelton to reach 10th US Open and 36th Grand Slam Final
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Rishab Dutta
(794 Articles Published)