Novak Djokovic defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets Friday to reach the US Open final, and the match ended in surprisingly chilly fashion.
Djokovic needed a tiebreaker to win the third set, but otherwise cruised through against the unseeded Shelton. The 20-year-old American garnered a lot of attention with his brash style during his unexpected run to the semis, but an unimpressed Djokovic gave it back to him after closing out the third set.
Djokovic mimicked Shelton’s phone celebration, the same one Shelton used after beating Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. Much like Shelton, Djokovic mimicked picking up a phone and then hanging up.
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Shelton certainly seemed to take note of Djokovic appropriating his celebration, and the handshake between the two was noticeably cold.
Djokovic may well have been a bit annoyed that the crowd was somewhat against him, with most cheering for the 20-year-old American. Maybe Shelton’s attitude rubbed him the wrong way. Either way, that celebration was definitely intentional, and Shelton took it as such, too.
