Lorenzo Musetti did the famous Ben Shelton/Novak Djokovic phone celebration after he won his match at the Davis Cup. The trend has started & it can’t be stopped. 📞😂
"The trend has started": Lorenzo Musetti continues Shelton-Djokovic phone gesture at Davis Cup
ATPSaturday, 16 September 2023 at 11:48
At the ATP Davis Cup Finals Group Stage, Lorenzo Musetti has continued a gesture made famous in the tennis world by Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic at the US Open last week.
Team Italy went up against Team Chile in Group A of the Davis Cup, held in Bologna from September 12-17. Although they lost 0-3 to Canada, the team was able to bring it back against Chile with a 3-0 victory.
The Italian team consists of World No. 18 Musetti, World No. 38 Lorenzo Sonego, World No. 47 Matteo Arnaldi, and World No. 42 and No. 43 in doubles Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli.
Musetti carries on phone gesture trend
After his win against Team Chile, Musetti mimed picking up a receiver phone and hanging up. This gesture has gained significant attention in the tennis world recently after Ben Shelton was seen performing the mime at the US Open.
The 20-year-old had just pulled off a surprise defeat against tenth seed and compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals of the New York major when he did the gesture. In the post-match press conference, the American explained that he was inspired by a friend of his - sprinter and hurdler Grant Holloway - and that it signified that he was 'dialed in.'
Moreover, when Novak Djokovic achieved a straight-sets win over Shelton in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, the Serb imitated this gesture, leading to a lot of debate online about whether or not he was throwing shade at the young talent.
Trend carried on by Musetti's compatriot
The gesture then seemed to be becoming a trend when Musetti's compatriot Fabio Fognini carried it on at the Genoa AON Open Challenger. The 36-year-old has been vocal about his frustration after he was excluded from this year's Italian Davis Cup Team, calling it 'disrespectful.' In response, team captain Filippo Volandri said Fognini's words were 'ungrateful.'
Following this, Fognini mimed hanging up the phone as part of his efforts to call out Volandri for not including him in the team.
Now, following Musetti's celebratory use of it after winning his match, it seems as though the gesture has become a new trend in the sport - a way to express the joy of winning and dominance in a match... while also throwing a bit of shade at times.
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