“That was just kind of me being myself,”: Shelton defends his signature celebration

Ben Shelton remembered the controversial celebration of Novak Djokovic at the 2023 US Open during a press conference. The American had his first full season on the Tour and surprised the world with great performances at the Australian Open (quarters) and the US Open, where he reached the semifinals.

Shelton entered the tournament unseeded and faced Novak Djokovic in search of his first Grand Slam final. However, the Serbian dominated Shelton, securing a resounding victory with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 7-6, on his way to his 24th major title.

Shelton reflects on controversial Djokovic’s celebration

The American had drawn attention in previous matches due to his characteristic celebration after winning a match, making a gesture with his hands as if ending a phone call. After his defeat against Djokovic, the Serbian celebrated in the same way as his rival had previously done, which some interpreted as mocking Shelton.

Read also

Novak Djokovic: record after record at the US Open

Nole said he simply loved the celebration and that’s why he did it. Shelton later commented in a press conference that he had not noticed Djokovic's gesture and responded with, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"

The 21-year-old recently reflected on the controversy and defended his characteristic celebration: "I think that was just kind of me being myself," Shelton said. "Me giving some shout-outs to my friends. I think that it's something that I guess wasn't taken the way that I wanted it to be, but I don't think it deterred me from being who I am.

Ben Shelton at 2023 US Open.

"I'm always going to be somebody who doesn't back away from a challenge or get quiet when I get pressed. That's just not the type of person I am. You've got to pick your battles, you know, choose your moments to really get loud."

“I'm not somebody who thinks about, 'Oh, I'm going to do this celebration or, oh, I'm going to do this at this moment.' It's just kind of spontaneous. It's what the moment brings."

This time at Flushing Meadows, Shelton has once again had a strong start, not conceding any sets in his victories over Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut. He will face the 20th seed Frances Tiafoe in the third round. The two faced each other in the quarterfinals last year, with Shelton emerging victorious in four sets.