"Never seen a more harmless gesture get vilified" - Fans join Nick Kyrgios in making light of Novak Djokovic imitating Ben Shelton's celebration

A section of tennis fans joined Nick Kyrgios to make light of the hype surrounding Novak Djokovic's imitation of Ben Shelton's 'dialed in' celebration after the 24-time Grand Slam champion defeated the American at the 2023 US Open.

Shelton had made a 'hanging up the phone' gesture after his win over Frances Tiafoe at the US Open quarterfinal.

In a recent interview with GQ magazine, Shelton's father Bryan Shelton expressed his displeasure over the Serb imitating the same after his semifinal win over the American, claiming that it was to ridicule his son.

Nick Kyrgios came to Novak Djokovic's defense via social media. He believes it was purely for entertainment purposes, and that it was more talked about than the match.

"So what?!?!? Sport is entertainment. We aren't robots. More people spoke about the celebration than the match," Kyrgios wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Tennis fans on Reddit agreed with Kyrgios, with some calling it mild compared to other sports where 'swearing, taunting, even physical confrontation' occurred on-court between opposing sides.

"Tennis is such a strange sport man. In what other sport would such a milquetoast thing become so controversial? In every other sport there’s swearing, taunting, even physical confrontation sometimes and it’s all good after the match," wrote one fan.

Some tennis fans expressed their disbelief at others clutching their pearls at Novak Djokovic's gesture.

"I’ve never seen a more harmless gesture get vilified so f***ing much, it’s insane. Tennis has the softest and most dramatic fan base hands-down," wrote another.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Lorenzo Musetti emulates Novak Djokovic with Ben Shelton celebration

Lorenzo Musetti pictured at a tennis tournament

The Italians kept their hope for a knockout stage berth alive with a spectacular 3-0 win over Chile at the 2023 Davis Cup on Saturday (September 16).

Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego were up against Tomas Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo in the doubles rubber. The tightly contested match was at a third-set tie-break when the Italians closed it, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(2), in their favor.

Musetti celebrated his victory with the 'dialed in' gesture made famous by Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic.

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Musetti had previously contributed to his team's success at the tournament by winning his singles match against Nicolas Jarry 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. His compatriot, Matteo Arnaldi, also registered a win against Cristian Garin 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Italy will next clash with Sweden on Sunday (September 17).

About the author

Stuti is a journalist who has been covering Tennis at Sportskeeda for almost two years. A firm believer in sticking to facts and not overselling them, giving proper context, and maintaining a neutral tone in her articles, her disciplined reporting methods have garnered close to 1 million reads so far, with one of her articles receiving nearly 100,000 views and gaining global recognition.

As an ardent Rafael Nadal fan, Stuti greatly admires the Spaniard for his ability to silence critics who have doubted his form due to recurring injury setbacks. Despite being a fan of the 14-time Roland-Garros winner, she doesn't subscribe to the idea of just one GOAT and considers herself lucky to have been born in the same era as 'The Big 3.'

Stuti is a big Wimbledon fan and adores how the tournament exudes class with its all-white outfits and well-behaved crowds. When she isn't watching tennis or rooting for her favorite player, she can be often found engaged in drawing and graphic designing, maybe even pondering how she could eliminate the final tie-break at 6-6 in Grand Slams if given the chance!

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh