Tennis star Novak Djokovic publicly criticized rival Ben Shelton during his media activities on the day of the Australian Open, stating that the young man “did not behave appropriately”.
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Last year, Djokovic and Shelton faced off at the US Open, where the Serbian tennis player imitated Shelton’s signature gesture of making a phone call. After winning the match, Djokovic admitted to copying the celebration, describing it as “very original”. However, now Djokovic has revealed that Shelton’s attitude got to him and that the youngster “didn’t behave properly”.
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“It was a reaction against him; he did not behave properly, with respect, on the court and before the match,” Djokovic told L’Equipe. When asked if he was offended at the time, 20-year-old Shelton denied resentment, saying he only saw the imitation after the game. He also expressed his opinion on the celebrations, defending the right to celebrate after victory. “I don’t like it when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can or can’t celebrate,” he said.
The possibility of a meeting between Djokovic and Shelton in the fourth round of this week’s Australian Open increases as the young tennis player has been drawn in the Djokovic section of the draw. Djokovic, seeking his 25th Grand Slam title to surpass Rafael Nadal’s 22, will look to defend his Australian Open title. Last year, he won his tenth title at the tournament, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6. The Serbian tennis player expressed his desire to start the season with a win in Melbourne, describing the venue as his favorite, where he achieved great things in his Grand Slam career.