Watch: Ben Shelton celebrates QF victory with a peculiar 'dialed in' gesture after upsetting countryman Frances Tiafoe at US Open
Ben Shelton continued his hot streak at the 2023 US Open and celebrated in style after he overcame countryman Frances Tiafoe's challenge in the quarterfinal on Tuesday, September 5.
The American recently stunned World No. 10 Frances Tiafoe in a highly anticipated all-American contest. Shelton fired 50 winners to seal the 25-year-old's fate in the hardcourt Major in a four-setter thriller, winning 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2.
The 2022 NCAA singles champion wasn't one to pass on his quarterfinal triumph celebration as he proceeded to energize the home crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium with an entertaining reaction.
Ben Shelton enacted an uncanny dialed-in telephone gesture as the crowd backed the World No. 47 with lung-bursting roars.
"Ben Shelton’s reaction after beating Frances Tiafoe to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open. He picks up the phone & hangs it up. Coldblooded," The Tennis Letter wrote on X.
With the win, the unseeded American has advanced to his maiden Grand Slam semifinal in his fifth Major appearance on the ATP Tour.
Shelton will next take on Novak Djokovic, who registered a straight-set victory (6-1, 6-4, 6-4) over America's Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. The Serb is eying a record-extending 24th Major crown.
"Helps me get out of bed and go to work every single day, work hard to get to where I want to be" - Ben Shelton on taking inspiration from social media trolls
Ben Shelton recently opened up about his views on social media trolls, saying that he drew inspiration from comments questioning his elevation on the ATP Tour.
In a post-match press conference, the 20-year-old said he doesn't let negative comments on the internet get to him but rather uses them as an instrument to achieve better results each day.
"I'm not a guy who gets frightened or scared by comments on social media. When people are saying negative things about me, that just drives me. It's not something that I ever worry about," Shelton said.
"If I go to sleep at night thinking about it, it's more anger than me being sad. That helps me get out of bed and go to work every single day, work hard to get to where I want to be," he added.
Since his quarterfinal run at the 2023 Australian Open, Shelton's recognition on the circuit has subjected him to dismissive comments on social media, with users questioning his potential and prying whether the American's campaign earlier this season was a one-off.