"Even his teammates find it annoying by now" - Tennis fans react to Ben Shelton repeating his 'dialed-in' celebration after Laver Cup win
American tennis sensation Ben Shelton recently repeated his controversial 'dialed in' celebration at the 2023 Laver Cup, prompting tennis fans to share their reactions.
Shelton's celebration became popular during the 2023 US Open. He first performed it after winning his quarterfinal match against compatriot Frances Tiafoe.
Things quickly got controversial when the ultimate winner, Novak Djokovic, caught everyone's attention by seemingly mocking the American with his own celebration. Djokovic made a phone-hanging gesture after knocking Shelton out in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.
Since then, Ben Shelton has literally carried his celebration style everywhere. The 2023 Laver Cup was no exception as he did it again after defeating Team Europe's Arthur Fils 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Tennis fans, however, are seemingly tired of it and resorted to X (formerly Twitter) to vent. One user claimed that even Shelton's teammates have had enough of the celebration, and wrote:
"Ew gawd, all the other guys literally walking away as if he smells, with Paul gesticulating at the kid to drop it."
Another user wrote:
"I know he's young but he's opened a pandora's box do him & his dad mustn't get upset when opponent who will beat him hangs up the phone on him as they did when djok did it."
Another account posted:
"Even his teammates seem to find it annoying by now."
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" - Ben Shelton on Novak Djokovic imitating his celebration
Ben Shelton spoke at a press conference following his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the 2023 US Open and discussed the Serb's imitation gesture. Shelton said he didn't see his opponent's move until after the match, adding that mimicry was the "sincerest form of flattery."
"I didn't see it until after the match. You know, I don't like when I'm on social media and I see people telling me how I can celebrate or can't celebrate. You know, I think if you win the match, you deserve to do whatever you want," Shelton said.
"You know, as a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so that's all I have to say about that (smiling)," he added.
While Ben Shelton took Novak Djokovic's gesture lightly, his father, Bryan, did not. Bryan Shelton recently criticized Djokovic and suggested that such behavior was not expected of a 24-time Slam champion.