"No, it's Ben Shelton's, I'll leave it to him, but maybe there are others" - Barbora Krejcikova on copying 'dialed-in' celebration after San Diego win
Czech tennis player Barbora Krejcikova is not getting swayed by Novak Djokovic's move to copy Ben Shelton’s 'dialled-in' celebration.
Djokovic copying his younger opponent's celebration post his win in the US Open semi-final had set the tennis world abuzz, with the Serb later defending his decision in the post-match press conference.
For all Barbora Krejcikova cares though, the unique celebration can remain Ben Shelton's domain. The recently-crowned San Diego champion said she had no intention of copying the same in her interview with the WTA, adding that there were plenty of other ways to express joy and celebrate a big win on court.
"No, it's Ben Shelton's, I'll leave it to him, but maybe there are other ones," Barbora Krejcijova said on being asked about the celebration.
Shifting focus to her on-court performance, Krejcikova said she felt that her game began to click again at the US Open — where she lost a tightly-contested first-round match to Lucia Bronzetti.
The Czech said her first win in San Diego marked a turning point for her and she came into matches with a different mindset and began feeling more confident in her game.
"I think things already started to click at the US Open," Barbora Krejcikova said. "The singles was very close and then we played doubles, we had a tough draw, so it was difficult to get through. But I was there and practicing and already there, it was getting better."
"But after the first win here, things got different," she continued. "It was a different mindset after that. I finally got a win, so that was really important. Then I just felt like I just needed to keep going and try to play, fight, and I won another won and another won, and now we're here."
Barbora Krejcikova, Ben Shelton witness late season surge
Both Barbora Krejcikova and Ben Shelton have discovered their best tennis towards the back end of the 2023 season.
Krejcikova, a former French Open champion, lifted her first title of the season in San Diego after beating home hope Sofia Kenin in the summit clash. The win saw her re-enter the top 10 in the world rankings.
Shelton, meanwhile, also sits at a career-high ranking of No. 19. He broke into the top 20 of the world rankings after his breakthrough run at the US Open — where he reached the semifinals — earlier this month.