Ben Shelton responds to Novak Djokovic mimicking his celebration

Kevin Palmer
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Ben Shelton in action
Ben Shelton (USA) during a match

Novak Djokovic appeared to mock Ben Shelton after he completed as US Open semi-final win against the American youngster and now he has given his reaction to the incident.

Djokovic halted big-serving 20-year-old Shelton’s breakthrough run in the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (4) victory.

It was a defeat which will prolong America’s wait for a first home men’s champion since Andy Roddick in 2003 for at least another year.

The gulf in big-occasion nous was apparent from the start, with Djokovic playing in his 100th US Open match and Shelton his seventh.

The less than friendly hand-shake between Djokovic and Shelton at the end of the match was something of a surprise as the veteran champion is usually very gracious when greeting a youthful rival.

Yet after Shelton came under fire for his ‘put the phone down’ celebrations after his quarter-final win against American Frances Tiafoe, Djokovic made a point of doing the same to the 20-year-old after he won the final point of the match.

It was a reaction that sparked a strong reaction on social media and Shelton was asked about the incident in his press conference.

“I didn’t see it until after the match,” he said.

“I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can or can’t celebrate.

“If you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want. As a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Shelton went on to suggest he has grown as a person during the last year, as he has made his mark on the ATP Tour.

“I learned a lot of things.. the biggest thing I learned that’s shaping me as a person as we speak is the influence professional athletes have on this stage,” he stated.

“Tennis is a huge sport. It was crazy for me the 1st time I touched down in Portugal for my first tournament in Europe that there were people who even knew who I was.. that was hard for me to believe.

“It’s made me think about how I act on court. What message I’m giving in my interviews, the things I say, I think goes a long way.

“I think a lot of people are listening to the things you say & watching what you do.”

Djokovic appeared to be agitated by Shelton’s loud shots after he won points and possibly the crowd cheering on the American, but he insisted he had no hard feelings as he spoke on court.

“You guys were amazing, thanks for coming out,” he told the huge audience inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. “These are the kind of matches and occasions that I still thrive on. That still gets me going.

“Grand Slams are the ones that count the most in our sport,” he continued. “Today things were going really smoothly and he broke back and it was anybody’s game at the end of the third set.

“This is the kind of atmosphere that we all like to play in so I’m really pleased with the win today.”

Now Djokovic is one win away from a 24th major title and becoming the oldest winner in the Open era, surpassing Ken Rosewall who was 35 when he won the title in 1970.

“Look, these are the kind of matches and occasions that I still thrive on, that inspire me to wake up every day and work hard,” Djokovic said.

“Grand Slams are the most important, the ones that mean the most to me. Playing an American player is never easy and I had to hold my nerve. It was anybody’s game at the end of the third set. I’m really pleased with this win today.”

Looking ahead to his latest US Open final, Djokovic added: “I expect the toughest match of the tournament regardless of who is going to be across the net.

“I’ve achieved a lot but I still feel I have something in my legs left. I still feel I have something left to give to the sport.”

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic mocks youngster Ben Shelton after US Open semi-final

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