Men’s tennis in America received a huge jump when Ben Shelton stepped up in the US Open. Along with him, his celebration also increased in fame and is now being repeated by many around the world. However, it also became a factor of criticism for the player. Many chided him for the celebration, while many loved it. Serena Williams’ childhood coach falls in the latter and said that he can take it a step ahead.
Many stars copied Shelton’s celebration, including the tennis player who won the match against him. The reach of Shelton’s celebration was far and wide. Fans saw various athletes copying him after their moment of triumph, supporting the side of Rick Macci.
Rick Macci appeared in the recent edition of the ‘Tennis Nerd’ podcast and talked about the future of the sport. During his discussion, he also talked about Ben Shelton and how his celebration has taken over the tennis world. As per the childhood coach of Serena Williams, the celebration is lovely and is great for the sport.
He further said, “I love it. I think it’s good for the game. And you do also because you just asked me the question, you know about his (Ben Shelton’s) celebration, but he has to own it. I don’t think it’s anything more than him loving the game and having fun. And that’s why I think he’ll handle pressure a little bit better because it looks like he’s having a blast out there.”
Shelton hangs up the phone on his opponent after he wins, which caught fire in the US Open. Macci enjoys watching the celebration and said that it is one of the reasons Shelton is improving at the rate he is currently. His presence has certainly improved the tennis scene as one can see several players recreate the act.
Novak Djokovic perhaps has the most iconic recreation of Shelton’s hanging-up-the-phone celebration. However, Djokovic took it a step ahead as he did the celebration right after defeating Shelton. The move created quite a controversy as fans of both figures took to social media to defend their favorite. The iconic celebration was later recreated by Lorenzo Musetti in the Davis Cup, which further boosted its popularity.
Portuguese siblings Matilde Jorge and Francisca Jorge made it big at the W60 tournament on their home ground. The two won their first Caldas da Rainha ladies’ title and decided to celebrate by recreating his celebration. The American youngster has popularized this move, and the world is copying it left and right. We are likely to see more players engaging in it in the future.
