Ben Shelton's signature 'dialed in' celebration recreated by Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel after Figueira Champions Classic victory

Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel recently performed American tennis sensation Ben Shelton's 'dialed-in' celebration after winning the 2024 Figueira Champions Classic.

In his 'dialed-in' celebration, Shelton mimics speaking on a telephone before slamming it down. It became famous after his win against compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals.

Evenepoel, who is part of the Soudal-QuickStep UCI World Team, kicked off his 2024 season in the second edition of the Figuira Champions Classic. The Belgian cyclist won the single-day cycling race in dominant style, finishing with a 53km solo run. He completed the race in four hours, 42 minutes, and 25 seconds, which gave him an impressive one-minute-48-second lead over second-placed Vito Braet.

As soon as he finished the race, Evenepoel enacted Ben Shelton's 'dialed-in' celebration to commemorate his victory.

Shelton weighed in on the celebration after defeating Tiafoe in New York last year, saying it meant that he was "dialed in." The 21-year-old further mentioned that the celebration was the signature of one of his close friends from the University of Florida, Grant Holloway, an Olympic athlete who is a three-time World Champion.

"For me, it's kind of like I'm saying I'm dialed in," Shelton said (via Bleacher Report). "That's what it is for me."

"I'm really close friends with a lot track & field athletes who train at the University of Florida.nOne in particular, Grant Holloway, who's won the World Championships like 3 years in a row now.. that's kind of his signature thing. He just won the world championships, so congrats to him," he added.

---

Why did Novak Djokovic copy Ben Shelton's celebration against him?

Djokovic does Ben Shleton's dialed-in at the 2023 US Open

Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic faced off against each other in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open, with the Serb winning in straight sets.

Djokovic copied the American's 'dialed-in' celebration after winning the match. When asked about this in the post-match press conference, Shelton said (via Reuters):

“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. I think if you win the match, you deserve to do whatever you want. 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."

Speaking about the same, Djokovic said (via USA Today):

“I thought it was very original, and I copied him. I stole his celebration.”

However, speaking to L'Equipe ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, the Serb explained his reasons for imitating Ben Shelton, saying:

“This is my reaction to a provocation that came from the other side, it was a reaction against him. He did not behave properly, with respect, on court, and before the match. I’m never going to make fun of someone if they don’t do something first. Every time I lose, I always give my opponent a hug, I congratulate him, I respect him and his team. If anyone places himself in the ‘unsportsmanlike zone’, I react.”