"It was funny to me when Novak did it to": Ana Ivanovic quips on Novak Djokovic copying Ben Shelton's phone celebration controversially at US Open

Ana Ivanovic commented on Novak Djokovic's celebration imitating Ben Shelton at the 2023 US Open.

World No. 1 had one of the best seasons of his career, securing seven titles, including trophies at 3 Grand Slam events and the ATP Finals. In Flushing Meadows, Djokovic had an impeccable campaign, winning six of his seven matches in straight sets, with the only exception being the third-round duel against Laslo Djere (32nd seed), where he was down 2 sets but eventually turned the match in his favor.

In the tournament's semifinals, Djokovic faced the surprising Ben Shelton, who turned heads by reaching the semifinals as an unseeded player, defeating top-seeded players along the way, including Aslan Karatsev, Tommy Paul, or Frances Tiafoe. Winning his matches, the young star caught attention with his celebration, making a gesture like hanging up a phone call.

After Djokovic defeated Shelton (6-3, 6-2, 7-6), the Serbian imitated Shelton's celebration, which many interpreted as mocking his opponent. Regarding this, former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic recently commented that Djokovic's gesture seemed funny to her:

"Honestly, everyone looks at it differently. Sometimes I don't have time to follow everything that is happening (in tennis). Honestly, when Ben did it first, I was like 'OK, that's some teenage, American, cute stuff', and it was funny to me when Novak did it too.

I don't know, opinions are divided," Ivanovic said.

Following the controversy at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic provided explanations in the press conference before the final and explained the reason for imitating the celebration. In addition, Shelton responded to the Serbian without attaching too much importance to it:

“I just love Ben's celebration. I thought it was very original, and I copied him. I stole his celebration," Djokovic explained.

“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," Shelton said.