One of the biggest winners of this year’s U.S. Open has undeniably been the United States’ Ben Shelton. Riding a mesmerizing serve that twice peaked at 149 miles per hour, Shelton surpassed his quarterfinal run at the Australian Open earlier this year to reach the semifinals at the age of 20.
However, Shelton’s tournament ended in abrupt fashion Friday afternoon, as Serbia’s Novak Djokovic dispatched him in the semis, winning 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
After finishing Shelton off, Djokovic mimed hanging up a phone, referencing the celebration Shelton memorably deployed after beating countryman Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic hangs up the phone on Ben Shelton after beating him at the US Open. 📞🥶 pic.twitter.com/aTnjVFDWHY
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 8, 2023
When asked to describe the celebration, Shelton told reporters it was "kind of like I'm saying I'm dialed in" following his win over Tiafoe.
The victorious Djokovic, seeking his 24th career major championship, will meet either Spain's Carlos Alcaraz or Russian Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final.
