By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, September 14, 2024
Bryan Shelton has a message for Novak Djokovic.
You are an important champion, however your post-match mockery of my son was a chump transfer.
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Moments after dismissing Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4) to succeed in his record-tying tenth US Open closing, Djokovic emphatically hung up on Shelton mimicking the 20-year-old American’s trademark celebration of hanging up a telephone on opponents.
The sarcastic Djokovic gesture instantly went viral although Shelton himself mentioned he did not see it till after he was off court docket.
In a brand new interview with GQ Journal, Bryan Shelton, a former ATP professional who coaches his son Ben Shelton, echoed feedback Nick Kyrgios has made that Djokovic desires to be appreciated.
Nonetheless, the senior Shelton says Djokovic’s post-match hang-up antics crossed the road into mockery and disrespect.
“He desires to be liked a lot, Novak …” Bryan Shelton advised GQ. “He wished to mock Ben on the finish.
“It wasn’t one thing he was doing simply to repeat Ben. It was to mock him. And that’s too dangerous, for that to return from such an important champion.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion mentioned the snarky send-off was all in good enjoyable and a tribute to Shelton’s celebration.
“And I simply love Ben’s celebration,” Djokovic mentioned after the match. “I believed it was very unique, and I copied him. I stole his celebration.”
Shelton smiled off Djokovic’s jab in his post-match presser saying “imitation is the sincerest type of flattery.”
“I did not see it till after the match,” Shelton mentioned. “You understand, I do not like after I’m on social media and I see folks telling me how I can have fun or cannot have fun. You understand, I believe in case you win the match, you need to do no matter you need.
“You understand, as a child rising up, I all the time discovered that imitation is the sincerest type of flattery, in order that’s all I’ve to say about that.”
us once they name about our automotive’s prolonged guarantee.
pic.twitter.com/M39UlKWfxu— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2023
Novak Djokovic hangs up the telephone on Ben. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/AvMD9kPY2N
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2023
COLD ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ https://t.co/IeWH6GtAFj
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 9, 2023
Contesting simply the fifth Grand Slam event of his profession, AO quarterfinalist Shelton mentioned he hopes he will get one other shot at world No. 1 Djokovic.
Picture credit score: Mike Stobe/Getty
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