As part of his ongoing dominance at the US Open, Serbian tennis phenom Novak Djokovic overcame American competitor Ben Shelton in the semifinal match on Friday, September 8 at the venerable Arthur Ashe Stadium. He defeated Shelton with scores of 6-3, 6-2, and 7-6, winning in straight sets. Check out the viral video of Novak Djokovic imitates Ben Shelton.
In the meantime, Djokovic chose to ridicule Shelton with his “phone” celebration after winning against him. The fans’ responses to Djokovic’s gesture were ambivalent. Some people felt Djokovic shouldn’t have celebrated in this manner, while others thought he had every right to do so.
When discussing the incident, Shelton said that he was unaware of it until he viewed it after the game. Shelton, however, stated that he had no problem with Djokovic’s celebration because he was entitled to do whatever he pleased. Additionally, he stated that as he matured, he discovered that imitation is the purest form of flattery.
Novak Djokovic imitates Ben Shelton:
THIS LEAGUE! THIS LEAGUE! THIS LEAGUE! pic.twitter.com/M39UlKWfxu
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2023
“Until after the game, I was unaware of it. I dislike it when individuals on social media tell me how to or how not to celebrate. You have a right to do whatever you want if you win the game. Growing up, I was always taught that the finest form of flattery is imitation,” Shelton remarked in the post-game press conference.
Djokovic will now compete against the winner of the Carlos Alcaraz vs. Daniil Medvedev semifinal match. However, if Alacaraz wins over Medvedev, it will be their third meeting of the year. While Djokovic won the Cincinnati Masters, the Spanish star upset him in the Wimbledon final.
In the 2023 US Open, Alcaraz is the defending champion. It will be intriguing to see if he can do so or if Djokovic will triumph over him twice. Alcaraz must first defeat Medvedev in the semifinal match, though.
For the unversed, a hardcourt tennis competition known as the US Open Tennis Championships, or simply the US Open, takes place every year in Queens, New York. The US Open has historically been the year’s fourth and last Grand Slam competition.
So, this was all about Novak Djokovic imitates Ben Shelton. Also read, Fans hail cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin for the game with Eng.
