Italian Open: Fired Up Ben Shelton Exposes Opponent’s Foul Act That Inspired an Aggressive Victory Celebration

In a three-setter, Ben Shelton really knocked it out of the park with his victory celebration. The young American displayed sheer dominance, swiftly defeating his opponent, Pavel Kotov, in the opening round. But during the contest, it was his ferocious and combative attitude that really stuck out. The 20-year-old tennis player recently revealed the cause of his ferocious demeanor during the match. Although there were heated exchanges between the two during the bout, Shelton concluded it elegantly and without resentment.

In a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, when asked about what got him riled up during the match, he revealed his side of the story. Additionally, it highlighted a fact about tennis: matches aren’t always enjoyable. “I think it was just a highly contested tennis match. I think as you saw in the handshake once the match was over, it was over. It wasn’t like there was anything left to be said he gave me a couple of these, when I double-faulted so that kind of ignited the fire in me,” he stated. Ben also made it very evident that the competition is only “heavily contested,” which inspired him to establish an overwhelming edge on the court.

On the other hand, the 14th ranked tennis player added, “I think it’s uh it’s part of the sport, you know things aren’t always going to be perfect and uh players clapping when whenever you hit a great shot. Although, it’s a very nice touch but yeah, we’re competing for a lot out here we’re not just out here, having fun and having a hit around.”

After winning, the American tennis player didn’t stop there. He gave his fans even more reason to celebrate his triumph fervently by humorously mimicking his opponent’s signature celebration. Tennis TV’s official account caught the amusing moment and shared it, highlighting how much “he enjoyed that one.” A similar incident took place last year when Novak Djokovic imitated Ben Shelton.

Rising star Ben took the 2023 US Open by storm. His signature celebration after each victory at Flushing Meadows involved mimicking answering a phone and then hanging up. This unique gesture caught the eye of tennis legend Novak, who playfully copied it after defeating Shelton in a thrilling semi-final match on his way to securing his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title. In a show of sportsmanship, Djokovic even joked in the press conference that Shelton’s celebration was “so original, I had to copy him.” Shelton, for his part, took it as a huge compliment.

For Ben Shelton, imitation is all about embracing ‘the sincerest form’

Indeed, when speaking to the media following the US Open defeat, Shelton not only abstained from expressing any animosity against the Serb’s gesture but rather conveyed gratitude for it. He stated, “I don’t like when I’m on social media & I see people telling me how I can celebrate or can’t celebrate. If you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want.”

Following that, he added, “As a kid, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The 14th-ranked player introduced the celebration after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals, securing his spot in the semis for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament. He credited the gesture to his friend, track and field athlete Grant Holloway, who does it after winning races on a regular basis.

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