World-renowned tennis player, Ben Shelton, opted to tread softly with his notorious post-match phone celebration during his victorious match against Brandon Nakashima. This gesture first gained traction during the 2023 US Open, when Shelton pantomimed hanging up a phone after each triumphant match, causing a stir in the social media realm. However, the tide turned when Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Major winner, imitated this celebration after defeating Shelton in the semi-finals, sparking a contentious discourse.
Djokovic claimed his imitation was merely a ‘reaction’ to Shelton’s on-court behavior, a claim met with disapproval from Bryan Shelton, Ben’s father, and coach. The well-known phone celebration has since been absent from Shelton’s repertoire, until his recent match against Nakashima. Commentators observed Shelton’s restrained attempt to revive the phone gesture, attributing his restraint to his ‘respect’ for Nakashima, his fellow American.
Shelton, currently ranked 12th in the world, secured his first quarter-final berth in Indian Wells with a remarkable 7-5, 6-1 win over the 32nd seed, Nakashima. The 22-year-old Shelton has consistently outperformed Nakashima, leading their head-to-head encounters 4-0 without dropping a single set. The mutual respect shared between the two American players was evident as they exchanged handshakes at the net post-match.
Following his victory, Shelton allowed himself a moment to bask in the glory and connect with the fans. He mimicked a phone with his hand after touching his finger to his ear. However, he refrained from fully replicating his previous celebration seen at the US Open where he would place the imaginary phone to his ear before hanging up. Instead, he was seen shaking his head and seemingly addressing his team.
Commentator Kevin Skinner weighed in, “He wanted to throw the phone down, but out of respect to Brandon Nakashima, he won’t slam the phone down. However, he definitely laid down the law in the end.”
Shelton’s victory propels him into the last eight where he will face-off against either Taylor Fritz or Jack Draper. Expressing his satisfaction with his performance, he stated, “Whenever you can get a two-break win in a set against a server like that, it’s really encouraging for where my level is at, where my serving is at, where my returning is at, how I’m moving on the court. So I’m pleased with my performance today.”
Shelton has yet to publicly discuss his recent semi-attempt at the phone celebration. During his semi-final run at the 2023 US Open, he revealed that his gesture was inspired by fellow Florida Gator Grant Holloway and symbolized him being “dialled in”.
However, the narrative shifted when Djokovic echoed the celebration after defeating Shelton in straight sets. Initially, Djokovic expressed admiration for Shelton’s celebration, calling it “original”. But later, he told L’Equipe that his imitation was a reaction to Shelton’s on-court behavior, which he deemed disrespectful.
Bryan Shelton, a former professional tennis player and Ben’s current coach, accused Djokovic of “mocking” his son, stating, “He wanted to mock Ben at the end. It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben. It was to mock him.” The tennis world now awaits Shelton’s next move – will the iconic phone celebration make a full comeback or will we see a new celebration emerge? Only time will tell.
