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Novak Djokovic imitated Ben Shelton’s celebration, simulating the phone gesture and staging a specific step and finish, after winning the 2023 US Open semifinal against the young American star in three sets.The Serbian’s gesture caused a lot of outcry and tennis fans took one side or the other.
Some think he disrespected his rival, others, however, considered his imitation funny or at least captivating for the purposes of the show.Through social media, it is possible to discover the reaction of other tennis players by observing the comments or likes on the official tournament profile.Emma Raducanu‘s reaction was surprising.
The young British tennis player, champion at the US Open in 2021, published the images of the Djokovic imitation directly on her Instagram account. Raducanu therefore seems to have particularly appreciated the behavior of the Serbian champion.
Djokovic and Shelton, commenting on the episode at the press conference, joked in their own way.The Serb said: “I like his celebration. I think it’s really original and I copied it. I stole his celebration. I only saw it after the match.”Shelton explained: “I don’t like it when people on social media tell me how I can or can’t celebrate.
When you win the game, you deserve to do whatever you want. As a child I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of appreciation. That’s all I’ll say about it!”
When will Raducanu be back on the court?
Raducanu played her last official match at the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart last April.
The Briton announced to her fans that she has undergone a small operation on both hands and that she will have to stay in the pits for several months.She told: “It’s safe to say that the last ten months have been difficult considering I’ve had to deal with a recurring injury to a bone in both hands.
I’ve had minor hand surgery to fix the problem. I’m sorry to announce that I will be out for the next five months and that, in the meantime, I will have to undergo another small operation on my ankle. It pains me to know that I will miss all the summer events.
I tried to minimize the problems, so I want to thank the fans who supported me without knowing the facts. I can’t wait to see you all back on the court.”
