Novak Djokovic decided to imitate Ben Shelton’s ‘phone’ celebration after beating the young American in the men’s singles semi-final of the US Open 2023 on September 8, Friday.
The tennis world witnessed a masterclass from Djokovic as he secured his place in the US Open final. The Serbian tennis maestro defeated American player Shelton in straight sets, with scores of 6-3, 6-2, and 7-6. The match, which lasted for approximately two hours and forty-one minutes, was held at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
This victory marked a significant milestone in Djokovic’s illustrious career, as it propelled him into his 36th Grand Slam final, a record in the Open Era. Furthermore, this was Djokovic’s 100th match at the US Open, and he celebrated this landmark with his 87th win in men’s singles at the prestigious tournament.
The final showdown is now set to feature Djokovic against either Daniil Medvedev or defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. If Alcaraz emerges victorious from his semi-final match, it would set the stage for a thrilling rematch of the Wimbledon 2023 final. In that memorable encounter, Alcaraz had triumphed over Djokovic in an intense five-set battle.
After beating the youngster, Djokovic decided to take a page out of his opponent’s book and used his phone celebration to enjoy his win on the night. Shelton used the celebration after beating Tiafoe in the quarterfinals earlier in the week.
Shelton would comment on Djokovic using his celebration and said he was fine with the Serbian imitating him.
“I didn’t see it until after the match. 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,” said Shelton.
